Quantum Nonsense by Matt Lowry The Skeptical Teacher

The Beginning: Let There Be Light

Inconsistencies with the Wave Theory of Light Photoelectric effect Phosphorescence Blackbody radiation Spectral lines

The Solution: Quantized Light Think of light as coming in “packets” of energy called photons; energy expressed as E = hf

Matter Particles Act Like Waves?! l = hc/E  de Broglie wavelength

Both at Once? The Wave Packet

Wavefunctions & Probability

NOW(?) It Starts Getting Weird…

The Measurement Problem

Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics… Is QM Deterministic or Non-Deterministic? Copenhagen: Wavefunction “Collapse” Bohm: “Hidden Variables” & Non-Local Entanglement Many Worlds Interpretation Just “Shut Up And Calculate” And Then There’s THE QUANTUM NONSENSE

#1: QM Proves the Existence of God Because the universe “needs an observer” at all places and times to allow measurements & interactions to occur (i.e. a form of philosophical occasionalism) This misunderstands the concept of an “observer” in QM; it assumes an “observer” must be a conscious entity. But all experimental evidence, as well as application of Ockham’s Razor, shows that “observers” can just as easily be inanimate objects such as a detector or screen.

#2: QM Means Our Minds Control Reality (i.e. “The Secret”) Argues that because we affect the universe (say, the position of an electron) by interacting with it, akin to the measurement problem, then that means we can influence the universe simply with our thoughts Shows a basic misunderstanding of the measurement problem and the role of an “observer”; incorrectly assumes some kind of undetermined mechanism by which our macroscopic brains can operate at the quantum level Plus… it just DOESN’T WORK!!!! Otherwise, why would anyone die?

#3: QM Proves and Explains Human Free-Will Robert Kane’s Philosophy of Libertarian Freedom claims that human free-will is the result of conflicts in the will associated with “self-forming actions” that will cause the brain of the conflicted agent to become sensitive to “quantum indeterminacies” (i.e. our brains function based upon QM) WTF? (What… The… Fhysics?!!!!) Not necessarily true free-will; still constrained by the laws of nature (i.e. your free-will is a roll of the dice) Appeals to QM while ignoring the actual math behind the physics.

#4: Penrose & Hameroff - Orchestrated Objective Reduction Like Robert Kane, but with the veneer of science. Claims that the micro-tubules in neurons could have quantum effects on neuronal behavior, thus allowing the brain to behave as a quantum computer. Detailed analysis (via Tegmark and other physicists) shows that microtubules are basically too large to allow quantum effects to be meaningful. In short, our basic brain structure is too big and too hot for it to act as a quantum device. Not supported by any kind of experimental evidence; now moving into “not even wrong” territory of woo.