The Quantum Secret Einstein Tried to Warn Us About

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Aug 16, 2025

Join physicist Adam Becker, author of "What Is Real?", as he challenges our understanding of quantum mechanics, exploring its mysterious implications for reality. The conversation dives into Einstein's critiques of quantum theory and the perplexing EPR paradox. Becker elucidates the Many Worlds Interpretation and discusses groundbreaking experiments that test Bell's Theorem. With a blend of history and philosophy, he exposes the tensions between established science and revolutionary ideas, prompting us to reconsider what quantum physics really reveals about our universe.

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00:00 / 00:00

Math Versus Reality In Quantum Theory

Quantum math doesn't map obviously to physical reality, unlike classical theories.
Adam Becker says interpretations are needed to say what the math means when we're not observing.

00:00 / 00:00

Shut Up And Calculate — But Don’t Stop Asking Why

Use "shut up and calculate" when you need practical results from quantum mechanics.
Becker warns to still study interpretations if we want progress beyond current theory.

00:00 / 00:00

Einstein’s Real Concern: Reality And Locality

Einstein's core worry was not randomness but reality and locality in quantum theory.
Becker explains Einstein rejected the idea that particles don't exist when unobserved and doubted observation should matter.

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What if the most successful theory in science… doesn't actually explain anything?

In this episode of Into the Impossible, I talk with physicist and author Adam Becker, who wrote What Is Real?, a stunning exploration of quantum mechanics, its messy philosophical roots, and the long-ignored questions about what the theory really says about reality.

We dig deep into a paradox at the heart of modern physics: quantum mechanics works better than any theory we’ve ever invented, yet no one agrees on what it means. Becker walks us through the forgotten history of physicists like Einstein and David Bohm, who dared to question the mainstream “shut up and calculate” mindset, and explains why that mindset might be holding science back.

We explore the eerie predictions of the Many Worlds Interpretation, the mind-bending implications of Bell’s Theorem, and how modern experiments—some Nobel Prize-winning—are forcing physicists to confront uncomfortable truths about locality, realism, and the nature of observation.

If you’ve ever wondered whether quantum physics is just math, or if it really describes the world we live in, this conversation will challenge everything you thought you knew.

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