Quanta and Complementarity – The Philosophy of Niels Bohr

Reading assignment:

Primary

• Chapter 5 of "What is Real," by Adam Becker
• Short YouTube video by Sabine Hossenfelder,
  David Bohm's Pilot Wave Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (Excellent overview, including discussion of the "quantum equilibrium hypothesis" which is relevant for understanding the approach of Anthony Valentini, and discussed by Brian Josephson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix9nJmz4mGg
• Short paper by Brian Josephson and Fotini Pallikari-Viras,
  (Analyzes the consequences of relaxing the "quantum equilibrium hypothesis".)

Optional readings⁠

• Bohm's theory is covered in Beyond Weird, by Philip Ball, pages 107 - 111
• The history and future of the de Broglie-Bohm models, with special emphasis on the potential of relaxing the "quantum equilibrium hypothesis," is illuminated by Anthony Valentini in his sections of the book Elegance and Enigma
• Bohm's later work on the "Implicate Order": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implicate_and_explicate_order,

Optional Youtube Videos

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz4CHI_W-TA,
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbRVnC92sMs,
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlXdsyctD50

Meeting information:

Our live meeting will take place on Zoom.

Text-based discussions during and between live meetings will be hosted on the Blinding Cyclops Discord server. You can also find resources related to this seminar and reading assignments there. Join link: https://discord.gg/urPBsNTWuK. Channels related to this seminar can be found under the "Quantum Physics" category.

Syllabus:

We meet alternating Fridays at 4pm PT to discuss interpretations of quantum physics and the philosophy of Niels Bohr.

This seminar has begun with a close reading of a book critical of Niels Bohr, “What is Real?” by Adam Becker, so that we can become grounded in an opposing and critical viewpoint. It's also likely that we'll semi-regularly read source materials as a supplement.

Suggested secondary readings (which we’ll not cover directly but which may be referenced):

• “Quantum Reality,” by Nick Herbert
• “Beyond Weird,” by Philip Ball
• “Elegance and Enigma,” edited by Maximilian Schlosshauer