• Gustephan@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    The most important thing I’ve ever been told about quantum is “shut up and calculate.” Results don’t seem physical? That’s quantum. Results don’t make sense? That’s quantum. Shut up and calculate

    • pcalau12i@lemmygrad.ml
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      2 days ago

      I think it’s boring honestly. It’s a bit strange how like, the overwhelming majority of people either avoid interpreting quantum theory at all (“shut up and calculate”) or use it specifically as a springboard to justify either sci-fi nonsense (multiverses) or even straight-up mystical nonsense (consciousness induced collapse). Meanwhile, every time there is a supposed “paradox” or “no-go theorem” showing you can’t have a relatively simple explanation for something, someone in the literature publishes a paper showing it’s false, and then only the paper showing how “weird” QM is gets media attention. I always find myself on the most extreme fringe of the fringe of thinking both that (1) we should try to interpret QM, and (2) we should be extremely conservative about our interpretation so we don’t give up classical intuitions unless we absolutely have to. That seems to be considered an extremist fringe position these days.