One aspect of Quantum Theory: inherent non-determinism

Level: Public, no mathematics involved.

In this 5 and a half minute video I aim to communicate one aspect of quantum theory that distinguishes it from classical theories - at least if we adopt the standard so-called "Copenhagen
Interpretion" of quantum theory.

I put the video up mainly because there are a lot of crazy
spiritualist types who go around trying to justify themselves by saying that what they believe
in is something to do with quantum theory. Well, quantum theory is still not well understood, and scientists acknowledge that it has paradoxical features that we would like to understand better - indeed I myself cannot claim to understand the mysteries of quantum theory as well as a number of other scientists who work on the foundations of the theory. This video is supposed to give just a small glimpse into that world. So before those cultists out there jump on the bandwagon and use "quantum theory" to justify their favourite movement, they ought to spend time understanding the ways in which it quantum theory is not complete first.

In future videos I might try to put more details in as someone really needs to counteract the many frauds who talk about this subject.

If you are brave, you may try to look up things like "Bell's inequalities", "entanglement", "non-locality", "contextuality", and "quantum information" on websites of genuine scientific researchers at either government or reputable private universities.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Quantum Theory
• Physics
• Unpredictability

[PhysicsMathCharlatan]

@RJMooreII

By the way, at no point in the video do I claim that empirical observations can prove that nature is non-deterministic.

[PhysicsMathCharlatan]

@RJMooreII

I agree with your statement. But you are using a defintion of "deterministic" that is not the one used by most physicists. All I am trying to say is that quantum theory departs from other theories of physics in that all other theories attribute uncertainty down to lack of precise knowledge. You can call that a lack of "emprical omniscience" if you want.

[RJMooreII]

There is not even a possible 'contradiction' between quantum theory and determinism, since determinism is an ontological and metalogical theory about the nature of reality in general and quantum mechanics is just a mathematical formulation which is consistent with many observations. Even if it were impossible to ever gain infinite knowledge or make precise predictions about the behavior of particular particles this would simply about to a blow against empirical omniscience, not determinism.