Uncertain for A Century: Quantum Mechanics and The Dilemma of\n Interpretation
arXiv (Cornell University) February 7, 2016 Adam Frank
Quantum mechanics is extraordinarily successful at predicting experimental outcomes and underpins modern digital technology, yet after more than a century no consensus exists on what it implies about the nature of reality. Most interpretations of its mathematical formalism cannot be distinguished experimentally. This essay examines how the persistent lack of an agreed interpretation influences philosophical debates about the meaning of the term 'Universe' and the nature of consciousness. The author does not advocate for any particular interpretation but explores how modern physics' inability to experimentally adjudicate between interpretations with wildly divergent ontological and epistemological implications shapes discussions of physics and its description of the world.