Stop Heisenberg Abuse!
Three Outrageous Misappropriations of Quantum Physics – How Science Gets Hijacked for Esoteric Theories
The three big lies of quantum physics abuse:
- Lie 1: “Quantum physics says that mind determines reality, and therefore Buddhism is right”
- Lie 2: “Quantum entanglement means that precognition and telekinesis probably exist”
- Lie 3: “Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle means that science has failed”
We have been living in a quantum world for over a century now, and in that time quantum mechanics has grown from a field hesitantly understood by a handful of men into a full-fledged intellectual industry. Unfortunately, where ubiquity treads, misrepresentation soon follows, and no branch of science this side of evolutionary theory has suffered more distortion from popularization than quantum theory.
Trendy parapsychologists, academic relativists, and even the Dalai Lama have all taken their turn at robbing modern physics of a few well-sounding phrases and stretching them far beyond their original scope in order to add scientific weight to various pet theories.
Lie 1: “Quantum Physics Proves That Consciousness Creates Reality”
The false argument: Take an electron in a box and replicate that setup a hundred times. When you perform position measurements after one second, you get a hundred different results. This happens not because the particle randomly bounces around, but because the act of measurement imposes a position upon what was previously a complex object of indeterminate location. The measurement created the position – therefore observation creates reality, and our minds must be creators of reality.
Why it’s wrong: The cardinal sin is conflating well-defined scientific terms with loosely understood popular ones. So “measurement” becomes “observation” becomes “thought” becomes “mind” in a chain of ever-decaying precision.
What we actually know: A measurement collapses the often ludicrously complicated wave pattern of a particle to a spike centered on one of the possible values allowed by the wave function. A measurement can’t result in just any answer – it’s like having a hundred pieces of paper with even numbers dropped into a hat.
The scale problem: Quantum effects stop being observable when particles rise above a certain size. Quantum effects typically manifest only for particles around the mass of an electron or extremely cold atoms near absolute zero.
For everyday life, this means: The “reality-creating” aspects only show up for subatomic particles, and even then it’s not about creating reality but selecting one of several predetermined possible states.
Lie 2: “Quantum Entanglement Proves Telepathy and Precognition”
The false argument: In quantum entanglement, particle pairs seem able to transmit information faster than light speed. When an electron is measured as “spin up,” the entangled positron instantly becomes “spin down.” Parapsychologists theorize this is the scientific mechanism behind psychic abilities – humans could “entangle” with each other and exchange information over vast distances.
Why it’s nonsense: Quantum entanglement is the guardian of conserved quantities and the Uncertainty Principle. It ensures that constraints on particles once associated are enforced when separated – but only for conserved quantities like angular momentum.
When trying to apply this to humans, unsolvable questions arise: What precisely is the superpositional state into which two minds become locked? What is the mechanism of measurement that causes collapse? And what exactly is being conserved?
Entanglement is a mathematical phenomenon that quickly devolves into nonsense when taken from its native habitat. It works within strict quantum mechanical rules – remove these rules, and you gut it of its central operating principle.
Lie 3: “Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle Means the End of Science”
The false argument: Three hundred years ago, Newton’s mathematical explanations caused people to rush too eagerly into the arms of mathematical science. In the 1920s, Werner Heisenberg brought that whole structure crashing down via his Uncertainty Principle. Science is filled with vast gaps and has reached the limit of its explanatory powers. Therefore, it’s time for other, less mathematical, perhaps more holistic or spiritual investigatory processes.
Why it’s wrong: Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle decidedly does not say that chaos reigns in the physics kingdom. It’s actually a relatively benign, but incredibly powerful, statement about what happens when two quantities don’t play well together.
What popular accounts often leave out: There are plenty of measurable quantities that work together just fine. The measurement of total energy and that of angular momentum magnitude, for example, commute perfectly with each other – measuring one has no impact on the other.
The reality of uncertainty:
- The Uncertainty Principle tells us the upper limit on how badly two quantities will interfere with each other’s measurement
- Sometimes the answer is “Not at all,” sometimes “A bit”
- The mathematical consequences have allowed deeper and more precise insights into reality than ever dreamt of under the Newtonian model
The Problem of Scientific Popularization
As a physics teacher, the author has occasionally succumbed to making quantum mechanics “sexy”: “Quantum physics is, like, anarchy, man. No rules! Down with Newton!” pretty well sums up the trend.
But this puts the kaboom in the wrong place – quantum mechanics is revolutionary and exciting and breathtaking, but only after a lot of painstaking mathematics has been worked through, and a lot of rules followed.
The key point: “I can take some sensationalism in the name of grabbing the attention of students long enough to sedulously expose them to some beautiful ideas. What I can’t stand is misappropriating a handful of sexy-sounding terms and then applying them metaphorically to add scientific heft to one’s particular intellectual fetish.”
Conclusion: Real Quantum Physics Is Fascinating Enough
Quantum physics is beautiful enough as it is without tarting it up with the freakish rouges of pop parapsychology. It is a seemingly endless battle against a lineup of feckless opportunists who never seem to diminish in number.
“But authors (and Dalai Lamas) will continue to do so until they find themselves routinely exposed for their imprecision.”
Dale DeBakcsy
Quantum mechanics has done a lot for us – why not return the favor and protect it from abuse?
Want to read the complete technical analysis?
This article summarizes the key points. For the full discussion with mathematical formulas, detailed explanations, and all scientific references, read the complete original article as PDF:
This article is based on Dale DeBakcsy’s contribution to the Skeptical Inquirer and serves to educate about the abuse of quantum physics concepts in pseudoscientific theories. It is aimed at anyone who wants to distinguish real science from esoteric misinterpretations.
Original source: Dale DeBakcsy – “Stop Heisenberg Abuse! Three Outrageous Misappropriations of Quantum Physics”, Skeptical Inquirer, May/June 2014