Quantum mechanics and reality

1970/09/01 by Bryce S. DeWitt · 7 citations
Physics and Astronomy · Arts and Humanities · Medicine · #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Philosophy and History of Science #Biofield Effects and Biophysics

paper · doi:10.1063/1.3022331

openalex publication_date 1970/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02

Abstract

Despite its enormous practical success, quantum theory is so contrary to intuition that, even after 45 years, the experts themselves still do not all agree what to make of it. The area of disagreement centers primarily around the problem of describing observations. Formally, the result of a measurement is a superposition of vectors, each representing the quantity being observed as having one of its possible values. The question that has to be answered is how this superposition can be reconciled with the fact that in practice we only observe one value. How is the measuring instrument prodded into making up its mind which value it has observed?

Citations

• "Relative State" Formulation of Quantum Mechanics
• A Suggested Interpretation of the Quantum Theory in Terms of "Hidden" Variables. I

Cited by

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• An Adynamical, Graphical Approach to Quantum Gravity and Unification
• On a possibility to find experimental evidence for the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics
• How the Result of a Single Coin Toss Can Turn Out to be 100 Heads
• The Montevideo Interpretation: How the inclusion of a Quantum Gravitational Notion of Time Solves the Measurement Problem
• Gravitational decoherence
• Many-worlds interpretation [wikipedia]