Maxwell, Nicholas (2004) Does Probabilism Solve the Great Quantum Mystery? [Preprint]

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Abstract

What sort of entities are electrons, photons and atoms given their wave-like and particle-like properties? Is nature fundamentally deterministic or probabilistic? Orthodox quantum theory (OQT) evades answering these two basic questions by being a theory about the results of performing measurements on quantum systems. But this evasion results in OQT being a seriously defective theory. A rival, somewhat ignored strategy is to conjecture that the quantum domain is fundamentally probabilistic. This means quantum entities, interacting with one another probabilistically, must differ radically from the entities of deterministic classical physics, the classical wave or particle. It becomes possible to conceive of quantum entities as a new kind of fundamentally probabilistic entity, the “propensiton”, neither wave nor particle. A testable rival to OQT results.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Maxwell, Nicholas
Keywords:	Quantum theory, probabilism, propensity, wave/particle dilemma, realism, interpretation, testability, crucial experiment, measurement problem, orthodox interpretation, interaction.
Subjects:	General Issues > Explanation General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Depositing User:	Nicholas Maxwell
Date Deposited:	12 Apr 2004
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2010 15:12
Item ID:	1704
Subjects:	General Issues > Explanation General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Date:	April 2004
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/1704

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