The Undivided Universe: An Ontological Interpretation of Quantum Theory 1st Edition

Beyond computing the probabilities of experimental results statistically (and then only up to the Planck length using the hidden reductionist assumption that "measurer" and "measured" are separate), quantum physics (QP) does not have a clue. Even the widely successful algorithmic formalisms of quantum electrodynamics are like taking an ontological free-ride through cosmic reality, because no one knows for sure why they work, or if, or when, they might breakdown.

Until David Bohm came along intent on fixing the problem of finding what lies at the bottom of quantum reality, QP had been content finessing the question of what exactly is a particle. This book tells how Bohm, and his ex-student, James Hiley, proceeded to grab this 800-pound gorilla by its philosophical tail and wrestled it to the theoretical ground.

In what can only be called an intellectual tour de force twenty years in the making, Bohm and Hiley -- assuming only that the universe is whole, and using a handful of emergent concepts, show how the assumption of wholeness and the new concepts, could be welded into an ontological theory that closed the philosophical hole at the center of QP, and, at the same time, resolved existing contradictions.

Before this book, certain problems (like measuring quantum processes but still being unable to understand the reality behind the measurements; addressing why the "measurer" and "measured" must be treated separately; ignoring the contradictions of non-locality inherent in Bell's theorem (but apparently successfully challenged by the EPR experiment); and addressing the meaning of the wave-particle duality in the split-slot experiment), were mysteries of QP that had to be finessed.

Beginning with what is given: that the electron is a particle with a well-defined position and momentum, always profoundly affected by an accompanying wave, the authors seek to answer the fundamental question of QP: whether there is an adequate casual theory (as opposed to the existing implied stochastic one), of the reality of the quantum system in which the particle exists?

The theory they produce here, arguably, gives a new more intuitive and more coherent interpretation of quantum mechanics, one that matches, and then goes beyond the classical stochastic theory. Its only drawback is that it can never be tested -- except that is, at the point where QP itself breaks down. But oddly this is not where the theory has been criticized. It has been criticized on grounds that it only duplicates the classical stochastic theory. Those who criticize it on those grounds, obviously give no weight at all to the fact that, in addition to giving QP philosophical closure, it also satisfactorily resolves the primary mysteries bedeviling it?

The development of the authors' theory proceeds somewhat as follows:

The ontological and epistemological machinery are first deployed and reviewed in chapters 1-3. By the middle of chapter 4, the machinery is well-defined enough to demonstrate its efficacy on both the "One-body," and the "Many-body" problems. In the former case, de Broglie's idea of a "double solution" is introduced and the role of probability is examined as it impacts quantum physics more generally. And in the latter case, Bohm's own concept of "active information" is used as an ontological interpretation of the Many-body problem.

The notion of both "active" and "inactive" information are used in the most rigorous way possible in chapter 5, as a way of introducing the process of quantum transitions. This is not an easy chapter conceptually as it requires the reader to examine quantum transitions as observations in the absence of measurement. A fuller treatment of this and other problems of measurement make up the substance of chapter 6, which in my view is the lynchpin of the entire book because so much of what follows afterwards depends on both grasping the ideas of this chapter, and believing in its utility as an integral part of the ontological interpretation. The chapter ends by revisiting some troubling quantum mysteries in light of the new philosophical machinery.

Once the reader's appetite is thoroughly whet, chapter 7 is devoted to perhaps the most troubling concept of all: that of non-locality, one that at least in theory, violates the principles of relativity. So, non-locality is the point where the rubber of Bohm's idea of wholeness meets the road. The more problematic, more fragmented and reductionist stochastic interpretations are examined in light of non-locality too, and compared with Bohm's newer ontological interpretation. It is here where the reader can see clearly why an ontology of wholeness is needed.

Chapter 8 moves from the quantum physics laboratory to the large-scale universe. The rest of the book is devoted to further exploring further how the new ontological interpretation might be applied to both the small and large scale.

Summary

At one level this is the most daunting of all of Bohm's book, especially for those who have forgotten most of their advanced calculus. But despite this, it is also the most satisfying, because one gets to see what all the fuss is about. The mathematics used is minimal in the sense that it is mostly notational, and thus no more is used than is needed. However, this does not mean that the math is always easy. Just remembering the proper meanings of various systems of notations alone can be a challenge.

But beyond the mathematics, another word of warning is also in order: Just because Bohm and Hiley's concepts are presented with devastating clarity does not mean that this newer interpretation is easy to grasp. Yet, so long as the reader views the book as an excursion through applied philosophy as well as theoretical physics, and not just mathematics, per se, he can then be expected to get the most out of it. When the ideas do come together, as invariably they will, there is joy in being able to fully appreciate what the authors were really up to. Ten stars

D. Bohm was way ahead of his time. Someday he will receive his recognition. I am guessing another 20-30 years.
His ideas are difficult if not impossible for us to prove.
G

Provocative.

This book puts forward a coherent description of Bohmian mechanics, a theory that is not widely accepted, and has also been challenged by experiment [1,2]. Even if Bohmian mechanics is unable to describe every system, it is still conceivable that this approach may be of value as a computational scheme for addressing certain problems. Because Bohmian mechanics envisions an actual particle responding to a specially modified potential, Monte Carlo calculations may be used to simulate processes such as electron transport [3,4].

[1] M. Baublitz, Phys. Rev A 51, 1677 (1995).

[2] G. Brida et al., J. Phys. B 35, 4751 (2002).

[3] X. Oriols et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 806 (1998).

[4] L. Shifren and D. K. Ferry, Phys. Lett. A 285, 217 (2001).

Bohm and Hiley also consider the philosophical implications of Bohmian mechanics, as well as that of other interpretations of quantum physics such as parallel universes.

I had heard Bohm speak while I was in grad school, but was completely snowed. All I can remember of the lecture was Bohm saying "Folding unfolding, folding unfolding...," which was meaningless to me at the time. After reading Bohm and Hiley I have a somewhat better idea what Bohm was saying--which seems to be something to the effect that the universe is an undivided whole and not just a bunch of particles wizzing around and sometimes coming together. I still have a lot of work to do, however, before I can consider myself to have a good understanding of Bohm's world view.

In this book, David Bohm's (probably) last major work before his death, Bohm and Hiley outline in some detail Bohm's original work on the "quantum potential" which he developed from de Broglie's earlier attempts some years ago. This book brings together Bohm and Hiley's work dealing with the quantum potential approach for varied quantum phenomena such as photon absorption, photon emission, the measurement problem in quantum physics and so on. Throughout it is wise to remind oneself of Bohm's comment on this approach when he stated that it is only one possible exploration of an idea and not meant as a final theory by any means. Bohm points out repeatedly that in order to develop the quantum theory further it needs new concepts/philosophy to delve into deeper aspects of reality. If these thoughts are not kept in mind then one gets the distinct feeling that there is something incomplete in the work as it stands. Bohm's attempts at another approach are made through his ideas of the holomovement or implicate order which, although nebulous, is explored in its principals at least as in much of Bohm's other works.

I don't believe, like other reviewers have stated, that these ideas are vacuuous. New ideas are absoltely necessary in contemporary physics where the pure mathematical developments of string theory feel empty of real depth. Although speculative, at least Bohm's ideas sound physical and have a physical underpinning as those of Schroedinger, Heisenberg and Bohr in the early 20th century. The difference is that these other great physicists had some experimental work to guide them, Bohm does not, or very little. His ideas rely on the ability of experiments to probe deeper levels of reality between what is possible now say 10^-15 m and 10^-35 m, the Planck length. There exists a huge range of orders of magnitude to explore. I believe in fact the last couple of chapters of the book are the really interesting bits which contain such deeper explorations.

It is unfortunate Bohm died early and it is hopefull that Hiley et al will continue his great work with the same radical enthusiasm and not be unconsciously hamstrung by the current mechanistic paradigm.