Why Quantum Mechanics can't be right @sabinehossenfelder #shorts #iai #quantummechanics

[leofilipkovacic]

An old professor of mine once said "There are no correct models. Only useful ones." That pretty much sums up my view of quantum mechanics.

[rcszinx]

Everyone asking "what does a detector do" but no one asking "how is the detector doing"... :(

[joex]

Two young fish were swimming along when they swam past an old fish who said, "morning boys. The water is great today."
They continued on their way when one said to the other, "what the hell is water?"

[patpowers]

I don't need further theories of the basic structure of the universe. My lack of understanding of the universe is complete as it is!

[Trixbeat]

My physics professor said that science isn't about explanation, but prediction. You could explain an eclipse as the sun being eaten by a celestial dog, but science can predict when an eclipse occurs.

[charlieb]

I think if QM was spoken about/taught like Feynman spoke about it in his lectures, it would be far less controversial to discuss “quantum weirdness” and instead draw different types of thinkers to it. There are absurdities in the model’s foundation, anyone who has an interest in science could reasonably come to that conclusion. The model works too well to deny on that basis when nothing else comes close. As of now, even if the model is disproven, QM’s study will likely have laid all of the ground work for a new theory. That is the nature of scientific progress and will be until such a point where no questions are left to ask. That being said, there’s often an implication by educators and scientific cultural figures that QM is THE truth and understandable if you’re smart enough. Yes, many people have intuitions in QM but those are built from an understanding of numbers and formulae, not human experience. QMs implications are unsettling and that should be embraced. It is both the lock and the key for the door to a more complete understanding. I doubt the people who argue it makes complete sense will be the ones who open that door

[fatfinger]

The world needs many more like Sabine who aren't afraid to question the actual strongly established paradigms.
We've reached the point of physics where classic physics was before Einstein and everyone that questioned its flaws, holes or incoherencies was being stigmatized in a bad light (to say the least).

[MattFRox]

By detector, does she mean observer or perhaps something like instrument of measurable observation? Or is detector some technical term that has more defined terms?

[nichtwichtig]

Quantum Mechanics explicitly does not claim to be the final answer, the universal theory of everything. It works pretty well though or we would not be talking here. It is not scientific but more emotional, some people just need a all-encompassing something whilst others just enjoy that the expansion of knowledge leads to more questions then answers.

[erichodge]

Sabine, that is a helluva good point.

[Demivrge]

As long as I understand I am a detector I have an understanding of what one is, and to understand is to detect so I can also deduce that I have a good understanding 👍

[Aditya-urfj]

Interesting point. I've found Sabine to always be very reasonable & precise.

[liamroche]

I don't get the point here. A detector is a quantum system interacting with another of interest. Fundamentally all interesting empirical information may be about dependence between states - which is related to entanglement. That being said, the process of "bootstrapping" when talking about physics - as a physical being using physical equipment - is a tricky one.

[davidgow]

Literally one of the smartest people on the planet. Sabine has the ability to contextualise physics in a way that I find so helpful in my quest to develop and broad layman’s understanding of the issues in modern physics and science. Absolutely Class A content and I highly recommend people checking out her content ❤️🤗👌👍

[CharlotteBurne]

What a kind gesture that is! Thank you for helping an elderly person.

[hgf]

Also, it would be a misunderstanding of what science is to claim that any of it's models could give the full story on the essential nature of anything. Scientific models are generated to understand the behaviour of nature, not it's essence.

Thinking about the essence of nature/reality or ourselves is philosophy.

[petertrebilco]

You are the physics Messiah. You make so much sense! Thank you!

[iiptbbv]

Detection is the first thing for any further information but being honest QM is Detection of all then mapping out what is learned step by step so by asking this question you actually answered it aswell

[arasharfa]

Stephen Wolfram recently wrote about observer theory to tackle this issue. his point is that our universe looks the way it does because of what we are as observers in relation to the rest of the universe.

[KnoxKnight]

It's not "the final story, " but it is neither invalidated or gainsaid.