Parth G's video: Quantum Physics is So Weird that We Need to Interpret It

The theory of quantum physics has existed and grown for more than a hundred years. And in that time it's extremely, ridiculously, successful at predicting how the universe around us behaves. But there's one small problem with it. It makes absolutely no sense, whatsoever. Quantum mechanics, like other theories, is based on mathematical assumptions or "postulates". In this video we look at two such postulates. We can then look at mathematical consequences of each postulate, and test this against what actually happens in real life. If our experiments agree with the "consequences" we calculated earlier, then there's a good chance that our mathematical model represents our universe pretty well. One postulate of quantum mechanics states that any system we study can be completely described by a mathematical function known as a wave function. It also says that the square modulus of the wave function is directly related to experimental probabilities (such as the likelihood of finding a particle in a particular region of space). It's not fully clear to us yet why the wave function is related to measurement probabilities in this way - quantum mechanics doesn't tell us this, as it's only a mathematical framework. Another postulate states that the mathematical equivalent of making a measurement is to apply an operator to the wave function. Again, the WHY behind this is unclear. But the math does work out, in that our experimental results do really seem to reflect how measurement operators applied to wave functions behave. Because there's a lack of clarity between our mathematical framework, and the actual inner workings of the universe, but at the same time the math is so strong at accurately predicting how our universe behaves, physicists have tried to come up with different interpretations of quantum mechanics. The one we've been working in so far is the Copenhagen interpretation. It's also worth noting that quantum physics seemed to break otherwise important "rules" of physics. For example, in relativity, one part of any system could only communicate with another as fast as light (or other EM waves) could get between them. However in quantum physics there seemed to be an instant way for particles to communicate with each other in some instances. One interpretation of quantum mechanics, known as the Transactional interpretation, tried to solve this problem. The idea behind this is that each part of any system we study will send out wave-function-like waves both forward and backward in time. The waves from different parts of the system meet in a "quantum handshake". This is what decides what experimental result we will see in each case, and there's no instant transfer of information. Another interpretation that solves the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics is known as the Many Worlds interpretation. This says that every time an event occurs, the universe splits into multiple other universes, one in which each possible outcome occurs. For example, if I took a test then in some universes I would pass and in others I would fail. Interpretations are very interesting to think about, but so far there aren't really any ways to test them experimentally in our universe. So for now, they remain theoretical concepts. Further Reading: Transactional Interpretation - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transactional_interpretation Many Worlds Interpretation - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many-worlds_interpretation Thanks for watching, please do check out my links: MERCH - https://parth-gs-merch-stand.creator-spring.com/ INSTAGRAM - @parthvlogs PATREON - patreon.com/parthg MUSIC CHANNEL - Parth G Music Here are some affiliate links for things I use! Quantum Physics Book I Enjoy: https://amzn.to/3sxLlgL My Camera: https://amzn.to/2SjZzWq ND Filter: https://amzn.to/3qoGwHk Chapters: 0:00 - The Basis of Quantum Mechanics 1:16 - Postulate 1 of Quantum Mechanics 2:58 - Do We Know Why This is True? 3:54 - Postulate 2 of Quantum Mechanics 4:25 - Why Do We Stick with Quantum Mechanics? 5:27 - Copenhagen Interpretation 6:26 - Transactional Interpretation 7:56 - Many Worlds Interpretation Cards: 6:21 - youtube.com/watch?v=fBR5HQ-Ja10