Quantum Debates

 Ok this poem is a rant against the endless debates about the alleged meaning of quantum mechanics. A debate I regard as totally pointless as the main issues were all settled by the following two rules of interpretation

1) The Borm rule which says that the modulus squared of the solution to Schrodinger's equation, when suitably normalised gives rise to a probability density function from which wc can calculate the expectation value of any variable. Conversely this means that the solution to Schrodinger's equation is effectively the square root of a probability density function not a real wave.

2) The link between the eigenvalues of the solution to Schrodinger's equation and the energy levels of the system under consideration. 

These rules are readily extendible to relativistic equations 

That really is all you need. plus the ability to use Schrodinger's equation or it's relativistic generalisation to understand the results of experiments and from which all the great successes of quantum mechanics have been applied to and which help us understand how nature works. 

 The rest whether or not the solution to Schrodinger's equation is a real wave in 3N+1 dimensional space time or merely a mathematical object which enables the probability that certain events will happen to be calculated or the energy levels of a system to be obtained. Whether there are multiple universess and so forth have nothing to do with physics at all. To coin a phrase quantum mechanics isn't mystical it is just statistical. 

Once the implications of this are accepted then much of the so called debate just dissolves. If there are no hidden variables then we can only have a statistical solution. But this does not mean that particles or their interactions are not real. just that their so called wave functions are not real, but only as real as say the Gaussian Distribution describing the distribution of heights of a collection of human beings in a sufficiently large enough sample.

 Instead of worrying about the meaining of the wave function try and apply the well trodden path of discovering the correct Hamiltonian to describe particles and how they interact with each other once this has been obtained just get on and calculate the consequences. If your Hamiltonian agrees with experimental results, then brilliant you have understood a part of nature. No amount of agonising about whether or not the solution to Schrodinger's equation is a real wave,. or signals travel faster than the speed of life is going to add one iota to the new knowledge. So let's celebrate all those physicists and chemists who daily apply quantum mechanics to understanding the world around us. Rather than the parasitic journalists and philosophers and I am afraid some prominent scientists such as Jim Al Khalili who jump on the band wagon of claiming that quantum mechanics is difficult to understand or mysterious. 

If you want to understand how quantum mechanics works, learn how to solve Schrodinger's equation or any of the relativistic equations don't waste your time reading what is essentially gibberish. Anyway here is my rant 

Quantum Debates

 

                                                  Many thoughts about you abound,

                                            Some of them seeming quite profound.

                                            But it’s all an illusion,

                                            Just adding to our confusion.

 

                                            It’s not mystical,

                                            It’s just statistical.

                                            Time to end this silly debate,

                                            And get on and calculate. 

Example of a silly debate about the meaning of quantum mechanics, that is going nowhere IMHO and there are plenty more around unfortunately.