Making better sense of quantum mechanics

Area of Science:

• Foundational Physics
• Philosophy of Science

Background:

• Persistent lack of consensus regarding the interpretation of quantum mechanics despite its predictive success.
• A significant gap exists between the abstract formalism of quantum theory and its empirical applications.
• This conceptual dissonance has coexisted with quantum theory since its inception without practical impact on problem-solving.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and challenge implicit, unacknowledged assumptions in the nature of scientific explanation held by physicists.
• To propose a new perspective that clarifies and unifies disparate interpretations of quantum mechanics.
• To demonstrate the broader applicability of this perspective to classical physics puzzles, such as the meaning of 'Now'.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of foundational assumptions in scientific explanation within physics.
• Reinterpretation of historical remarks by prominent physicists on quantum mechanics.
• Application of the proposed framework to resolve a long-standing puzzle in classical physics.

Main Results:

• Identification of widely-held but unacknowledged assumptions underlying current scientific explanations.
• A proposed new perspective that resolves conceptual ambiguities in quantum mechanics.
• Demonstration that this perspective differs from previous interpretations (e.g., Bohr, Heisenberg, Pauli) and is not solipsistic.

Conclusions:

• Challenging implicit assumptions about scientific explanation offers a path to conceptual clarity in quantum mechanics.
• The proposed perspective provides a unified view of physics, applicable from quantum to classical domains.
• This work necessitates a re-evaluation of how physicists conceptualize scientific explanation and physical reality.