Customer Reviews

Interview With David Bohm: Quantum Physicist and Philosopher [VHS]

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Every criticism made in the preceding review is accurate; this is not a video that the casual viewer is likely to find either enjoyable or rewarding. What it attempts to do, not terribly successfully, is to pull back from the detail of quantum theory and ask what it all means on a cosmic level and what its relationship is to Newtonian Physics and to man's knowledge of the universe generally. It is more of a philosophical inquiry than a scientific one and presupposes a fair amount of knowledge of quantum theory on the part of the viewer. It is, however, infinitely superior to mindless drivel like "Smithsonian World - The Quantum Universe (1995)." The following material appears on the cover:

David Bohm (1917-1992) was one of the world's greatest quantum physicists and philosophers of science and one of the most influential theorists of the emerging paradigm. Bohm brought together a radical view of physics, a deeply spiritual understanding, and a profound humanity.

Bohm discusses his groundbreaking theory of `wholeness and the implicate order' in which he proposes a new model of reality that is a revolutionary challenge to physics. In the implicate order any element contains enfolded within itself the totality of the universe. Bohm's concept of totality includes both matter and consciousness. He saw the universe as an undivided wholeness enfolded into an infinite background source that unfolds into the visible, material, and temporal world of our everyday lives. Thought can grasp the unfolded, but only something beyond thought - intuition, unmediated insight, intelligence - can experience the unfolded (sic). Our challenge is self-transformation, living in both the timeless and in time.

David Bohm was the last graduate student to study with J. Robert Oppenheimer at the University of California in the 1940's. In 1947 Bohm taught at Princeton University and wrote the classic book "Quantum Theory," an attempt to understand quantum theory from Neils Bohr's point of view. After completing the book and communicating with Wolfgang Pauli and Albert Einstein on it, Bohm remained unsatisfied with the theory and stated: "What is the point of life if you live in an invented world, if there's no relationship either to the world or to the people or to anything? It isn't a relationship if you're related to something which isn't there, or which is just there to make yourself feel comfortable." He spent the last part of his life at the University of London and lecturing worldwide on the meaning of physics and consciousness.

While the circumstances of this interview w/ Bohm are odd (it was dont at the Bohr institute and Bohr and Bohm were rivals, the interviewer seems to know little about Bohm's work, etc.) this is still one of the FEW FEW ways to see one of our century's greatest minds. Einstien named Bohm his intelectual heir, but the scientific minds of the 40-70's have systematically ignored Bohm's challenging theories. The World needs more of this man's influence -- if more of our leaders studies Bohm we might hav ea chance as a species. Nuf said, but the video and pay attention.

In a moment of great mental weakness I bought this video. Bohm was certainly a strange--very strange--character to judge by the way he behaves during this baffling interview. He keeps looking in the same direction off camera and my guess is that he was watching a clock on the wall, having been assured by the guy asking him questions that it would all be over in 45 minutes, or however long the dreadful ordeal took. I have no idea what Bohm was getting at in explaining his take on things. Was he trying to explain anything? Anyway, I was mainly fascinated by his facial expressions--a kind of mirthless grimace and giggle every little bit, followed immediately by an extremely sour and pained look with a severe pursing of the lips. Bohm may well have been a whiz at quantum mechanics, but based on what he shows here you'd never know it. The mystery is why he agreed to do this interview and a bigger mystery is why it was packaged for sale. I'm probably the onliest sap to have bought it.