Discussion on the Problems of Quantum Theory

Discussion on the Problems of Quantum Theory

The early 1930s gave us quantum theory, and along with that came many new physical and philosophical arguments. Many problems exist in quantum physics, and many brilliant scientists have spent their lives trying to understand. Heisenberg gave us The Uncertainty Principle, the idea that nothing is certain, just within a probability of certain. It also questioned the scientific method of observation, arguing that no measurement can show an object’s true nature. This brought the idea of quanta, different states, and the question of objects existing in more than one state, or having a dual nature. Scientists, physicists and mathematicians alike have all pondered and questioned these theories for many years and yet there are still problems left unresolved.

One of the problems with quantum theory and The Heisenberg Uncertainty principle is the reliance on probabilities. This is to say that nothing can be exactly predicted, just predicted within a certain probability. This implies that nothing can be certain; that there is an uncertainty associated with every statement, even those we consider facts. “This uncertainty leads to many strange things. For example, in a Quantum Mechanical world, I cannot predict where a particle will be with 100 % certainty. I can only speak in terms of probabilities. For example, I can say that an atom will be at some location with a 99 % probability, but there will be a 1 % probability it will be somewhere else (in fact, there will be a small but finite probabilty that it will be found across the Universe). This is strange” (Heisenberg). This problem is especially troubling at the microscopic level because there still are many uncertainties involved. Scientific technologies have not yet become omniscient. There are still limitations to what can be observed and measured. “It is important to understand that this is not simply a philosophical question or a rhetorical debate. In QM one often must model systems as the superposition of two or more possible outcomes. Superpositions can produce interference effects and thus are experimentally distinguishable from mixed states. How does a superposition of different possibilities resolve itself into some particular observation?” (Quantum Measurement).

This measurement brings up another issue with quantum theory. There was a great debate among scientists as to whether it was possible to measure things without changing them.