AaS! 190: What is the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics? (Part 8: For Nothing is Hidden)
Ask a Spaceman!
Paul M. Sutter
4.8 • 853 Ratings
🗓️ 20 December 2022
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Part 8! What is real in quantum mechanics, and what are mere mathematical tricks? Can the probability waves be real, and what would that mean? What is Pilot-Wave theory? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/spaceman and get on your way to being your best self. Visit BetterHelp to get 10% off your first month!
Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter
All episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com
Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PaulMattSutter
Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PaulMattSutter
Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PaulMSutter
Read a book: http://www.pmsutter/book
Keep those questions about space, science, astronomy, astrophysics, physics, and cosmology coming to #AskASpaceman for COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF TIME AND SPACE!
Big thanks to my top Patreon supporters this month: Justin G, Chris L, Barbara K, Duncan M, Corey D, Justin Z, Andrew F, Naila, Scott M, Rob H, Justin, Louis M, John W, Alexis, Erin J, Gilbert M, Joshua, John S, Thomas D, Michael R, Simon G, Erin J, David B, Frank T, Tim R, Tom Van S, Mark R, Alan B, Craig B, Richard K, Dave L, Stephen M, Maureen R, Stace J, Neil P, COTFM, Stephen S, Ken L, Alberto M, Matt C, Joe R, David P, Ulfert B, Sean M, Edward K, Darren W, Tracy F, Sarah K, Steven S, Ryan L, Ella F, Richard S, Sam R, Thomas K, James C, Jorg D, R Larche, Syamkumar M, John S, Fred S, Homer V, Mark D, Colin B, Bruce A, Steven M, Brent B, Bill E, Tim Z, Thomas W, Linda C, David W, Aissa F, Marc H, Avery P, Scott M, Thomas H, Farshad A, Matthias S, Kenneth D, Maureen R, Michael W, Scott W, David W, Neuterdude, Cha0sKami, Robert C, Robert B, Gary K, Stephen J, dhr18, Anna V, Johanna M, Matthew G, Paul & Giulia S, Ron D, Steven M, Louis M, Michael C, Alyssa K, Lode D, Roger, Bob C, Patti H, Red B, Benjamin M, BlueDragon, Stephen A, Ian S, James R, Skip M, Robert O, Adam I, and Lynn D!
Thanks to Cathy Rinella for editing. Additional Music credit on FMA goes to Dr. Phibes and the Ten Plauges of Egypt - "Toccata and Fugue in D minor (J.S.Bach)"
Hosted by Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist and the one and only Agent to the Stars (http://www.pmsutter.com).
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | What is real and what is merely a mathematical trick? |
| 0:14.4 | That seems to me to be the central question, the real heart of these explorations into the meaning of quantum mechanics. |
| 0:24.8 | I first asked this question, I don't know how many episodes ago. It's been a long time. We've been on |
| 0:31.6 | this journey for quite a while. And as we explored this question that once we get quantum mechanics, we start debating, what does |
| 0:40.9 | quantum mechanics teach us about reality? What is actually going on? Can we describe the physical |
| 0:47.1 | processes happening in the subatomic world? Or is this all just a series of mathematical tricks? And we actually don't know. And we can still |
| 0:58.3 | get results, but we can't actually derive meaning from it. We saw how this central question |
| 1:05.6 | led to the major split between the very founders of quantum mechanics with people like |
| 1:10.0 | Heisenberg on one side |
| 1:11.4 | saying it's all mathematical trickery. Don't worry about the details. It's impossible to visualize |
| 1:17.0 | or explain what's actually happening in subatomic processes. It's impossible to explain how |
| 1:23.1 | entanglement actually works. It's impossible to explain how quantum jumps actually work. |
| 1:27.7 | It's impossible to explain how collapse of the wave function actually works. |
| 1:31.2 | So don't sweat it because it's so far outside of our everyday experience. |
| 1:35.3 | Just do the math because you get results, right? |
| 1:38.5 | And on the other side, you have people like Schrodinger saying, |
| 1:41.7 | that we need to focus on the real. |
| 1:43.4 | Otherwise, we're not understanding |
| 1:46.0 | subatomic physics. We're just developing a set of tools that allow us to make predictions, |
| 1:53.0 | but that doesn't lead to any revelation. It doesn't lead to any deeper insight. We just have, |
| 1:59.0 | well, we just have mechanics. We just have tools for getting the job |
| 2:02.3 | done without knowing what the job is, and that we need to focus on the real. Ladies and gentlemen, |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in -787 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Paul M. Sutter, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Paul M. Sutter and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.