Jan 29, 2026 08:30 PM
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https://iai.tv/articles/100-years-of-qua..._auid=2020
INTRO: 100 years on from the birth of quantum mechanics, philosopher of physics Emily Adlam argues that the quantum measurement problem remains in urgent need of a solution. It continues to raise fundamental questions about why measurements yield definite outcomes, meaningful probabilities, and shared evidence. Adlam argues that the leading interpretations of quantum mechanics still fail to explain these basic features of measurement—threatening the whole edifice of scientific method and theory.
EXCERPTS: It is helpful to separate proposed solutions to this problem into two main classes. The “unitary-only” interpretations get rid of the collapse and refrain from adding anything else to the formalism of quantum mechanics: the only thing that exists is the wavefunction and its linear evolution according to the Schrodinger equation. Whereas the “primitive ontology” interpretations add something to the unitary formalism—either some kind of precisely formulated collapse postulate, as in the spontaneous collapse approaches, or some set of “hidden variables,” as in the de Broglie-Bohm interpretation.
[...] It is helpful to separate proposed solutions to this problem into two main classes. The “unitary-only” interpretations get rid of the collapse and refrain from adding anything else to the formalism of quantum mechanics: the only thing that exists is the wavefunction and its linear evolution according to the Schrodinger equation. Whereas the “primitive ontology” interpretations add something to the unitary formalism—either some kind of precisely formulated collapse postulate, as in the spontaneous collapse approaches, or some set of “hidden variables,” as in the de Broglie-Bohm interpretation... (MORE - details)
INTRO: 100 years on from the birth of quantum mechanics, philosopher of physics Emily Adlam argues that the quantum measurement problem remains in urgent need of a solution. It continues to raise fundamental questions about why measurements yield definite outcomes, meaningful probabilities, and shared evidence. Adlam argues that the leading interpretations of quantum mechanics still fail to explain these basic features of measurement—threatening the whole edifice of scientific method and theory.
EXCERPTS: It is helpful to separate proposed solutions to this problem into two main classes. The “unitary-only” interpretations get rid of the collapse and refrain from adding anything else to the formalism of quantum mechanics: the only thing that exists is the wavefunction and its linear evolution according to the Schrodinger equation. Whereas the “primitive ontology” interpretations add something to the unitary formalism—either some kind of precisely formulated collapse postulate, as in the spontaneous collapse approaches, or some set of “hidden variables,” as in the de Broglie-Bohm interpretation.
[...] It is helpful to separate proposed solutions to this problem into two main classes. The “unitary-only” interpretations get rid of the collapse and refrain from adding anything else to the formalism of quantum mechanics: the only thing that exists is the wavefunction and its linear evolution according to the Schrodinger equation. Whereas the “primitive ontology” interpretations add something to the unitary formalism—either some kind of precisely formulated collapse postulate, as in the spontaneous collapse approaches, or some set of “hidden variables,” as in the de Broglie-Bohm interpretation... (MORE - details)