The State of Play With Relativity

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Pilot wave theory was the kind of hidden variable theory that Einstein wanted, except rather than avoiding spooky action at a distance, it reifies. The fundamental problem with pilot wave theory is that it doesn't seem to play nice with relativity for exactly these reasons. Bony and mechanics seems to violate that. I would have a much better answer to your question about the state of play in about three hours. It's all like the spooky action is doing all the work here.

There are many mysteries surrounding quantum mechanics. To me, the biggest mysteries are why physicists haven’t yet agreed on a complete understanding of the theory, and even more why they mostly seem content not to try. This puzzling attitude has historical roots that go back to the Bohr-Einstein debates. Adam Becker, in his book What Is Real?, looks at this history, and discusses how physicists have shied away from the foundations of quantum mechanics in the subsequent years. We discuss why this has been the case, and talk about some of the stubborn iconoclasts who insisted on thinking about it anyway.

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Adam Becker received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan. He is currently a science writer and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Science, Technology, Medicine & Society at UC Berkeley. His book What Is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics comes out in paperback on Sept. 3, 2019.

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