Bas van Fraassen - Why is the Quantum So Strange?

To know reality, one must confront the quantum. It is how our world works at the deepest level. What’s the quantum? It is bizarre, defying all common sense. Particles in two positions at the same time. Spooky action at a distance. It would sound absurd if it weren't true.


Bas C. van Fraassen is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at San Francisco State University and the McCosh Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Princeton University. He teaches courses in the philosophy of science, philosophical logic and the role of models in scientific practice.


Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[RolandHuettmann]

Great discussion. Decency makes it enjoyable. More...)

[kertebrahimi]

The more we learn the more we realise we know

[jjcm]

Another funny thing is this empiricist philosopher who is glad metaphysics is debunked by Quantum Physics is an adult convert to the Catholic Church. Physics it seems is the real metaphysics but so is life. Truly fascinating series.

[gregoryarutyunyan]

Tell me please what's an observation?

Is it possible that the process of observation is a part of the process being observed, by chance?

[jamesruscheinski]

Is there any causation in quantum wave function / mechanics?

[JimKanaris]

A very interesting conversation. The concluding thoughts re metaphysics reminded me of a perspicacious comment by Hegel in response to a similar sentiment expressed by Newton. "It is true that Newton explicitly warned physics to guard against metaphysics. But to his credit it must be said that he did not himself act by any means in accordance with this warning. Indeed, only the animals are pure, unadulterated physicists, since they do not think, whereas a human being as a thinking being is a born metaphysician" (Shorter Logic). The "tradition of empiricism" (Bas van Fraassen) is not an overt fact of nature. It's a tradition, with assumptions and presuppositions that guide and direct a specific and incontrovertibly valuable research program. It boots nothing to dismiss metaphysics while smuggling metaphysical assumptions in through the physics back door. What's the metaphysical assumption? That we don't need metaphysics or that we're not somehow implicated in metaphysical reflection. That's an indemonstrable belief that serves the empiricist (call it what it is here: materialist) well.

[donespiritu]

A criticism I have of Robert Kuhn is that in most of his conversations with scientists he'll ask a loaded question and then try to undermine whatever answer they give to his strange question. But with Bas, Kuhn can't do that. Bas crushes Kuhn at his philosophical game and he is also vastly superior to Kuhn in his knowledge of science.

[chyfields]

We have choices. We can preoccupy ourselves calculating the dimensions of the cockpit or we can learn to fly the simulation.

[soubhikmukherjee]

It's responsible for all of the amazing modern technology. It makes me feel so proud!

[scienceisall]

Of course the universe is deterministic. The only way it wouldn’t be is if probability is someone a result of super positioning being a way to maximize the efficiency of the distribution of energy, in the way that the stock market is stochastic because it is efficient

[NothingMaster]

The strangeness in Quantum Mechanics (QM) arises out of the innate desire of people to approach it from a common sense point of view, instead of following the mathematics that prescribes the recipes for how to deal with its description of reality. Observations / measurements and the probabilities associated with them are at the heart of QM. But the trick is to follow the math instead of attempting to hold our quantum observations in the mirror of our classical common sense. QM follows its own rules, and as long as you respect its rules you could not only see its beauty, but also its coherent and internally consistent logic.

[soubhikmukherjee]

Quantum mechanics is strangely awesome.

[ancestralrocha]

There is not time or causality in quantum level/world, it is the quantum that creates spacetime fabric

[outterboxthinker]

As strange as the behavior of each one of us relative to the size of the universe.

[brentsack]

Could quantum mechanics be flawed at the fundamental conceptual level?

[jamesruscheinski]

Could be information bits from quantum wave function turn into energy particles.

[jamesruscheinski]

Could there be something that acts on the quantum wave or field as a whole, such as to cause non-local information like superposition, entanglement and others?

[bluelotus]

Because it's a void full of everything. Therefore it's a countersense.

[jamesruscheinski]

Can the Bell inequalities be explained by time past, present and future?

[jamesruscheinski]

Could the correlations and probabilities be caused by a measurement; while there is also something else going on before measurement?