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Quantum theory describes our universe incredibly successfully. To our classically-inclined brains, however, it is a bizarre description that requires a re-imagining of what fundamental reality, or "ontology", could look like. This thesis…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2019-01-08 John-Mark A. Allen

Quantum theory (QT) has been confirmed by numerous experiments, yet we still cannot fully grasp the meaning of the theory. As a consequence, the quantum world appears to us paradoxical. Here we shed new light on QT by being based on two…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2019-05-21 Alessio Benavoli , Alessandro Facchini , Marco Zaffalon

The present study attempts to provide a consistent and coherent account of what the world could be like, given the conceptual framework and results of contemporary quantum theory. It is suggested that standard quantum mechanics can, and…

History and Philosophy of Physics · Physics 2012-03-19 Vassilios Karakostas

Quantum mechanics is a fundamentally probabilistic theory (at least so far as the empirical predictions are concerned). It follows that, if one wants to properly understand quantum mechanics, it is essential to clearly understand the…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2009-11-10 D. M. Appleby

There exist dozens of interpretations of quantum theory, but they do not seem to contribute much to understanding the theory. This paper attempts to clarify some issues that are discussed in those interpretations. The main keywords are:…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2020-07-28 Michael Drieschner

It is given a preliminary discussion on the ontic nature of quantum states to be intended as potentialities and on the central role of spin to be considered as the basic essence of quantum mechanical reality. The possible fundamental role…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2007-05-23 Elio Conte , Andrei Khrennikov , Joseph P. Zbilut

What is the nature of reality? How should be an answer to this question? At this level, we are so deep that all our concepts are obscure. Quantum theory (QT) is at this level. The quest for interpreting it fails because the clarity of our…

General Physics · Physics 2012-10-19 Frederico R. Pfrimer

At the primary level of reality as described by quantum field theory, a fundamental particle like an electron represents a stable, discrete, propagating excited state of its underlying quantum field. QFT also tells us that the lowest vacuum…

General Physics · Physics 2014-04-03 Mani Bhaumik

I explore whether it is possible to make sense of the quantum mechanical description of physical reality by taking the proper subject of physics to be correlation and only correlation, and by separating the problem of understanding the…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2009-10-31 N. David Mermin

For a century, quantum theorists have been reading the mathematical entrails of quantum mechanics (QM) to divine the nature of quantum reality. But to little avail. In this paper a different approach is taken, namely to identify and explain…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2025-11-11 David Ellerman

The question of what ontological message (if any) is encoded in the formalism of contemporary physics is, to say the least, controversial. The reasons for this state of affairs are psychological and neurobiological. The processes by which…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2007-05-23 Ulrich Mohrhoff

Disputes on the foundations of Quantum Mechanics often involve the conception of reality, without a clear definition on which aspect of this broad concept of reality one refers. We provide an overview of conceptions of reality in classical…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2017-08-08 Gerd Christian Krizek

It is argued that the traditional "realist" methodology of physics, according to which human concepts, laws and theories can grasp the essence of reality, is incompatible with the most fruitful interpretation of quantum formalism. The proof…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2011-07-19 M. Ferrero , D. Salgado , J. L. Sanchez-Gomez

We discuss in this work the contradictory position in modern Physics between the existence of a microphysical quantum Reality and macrophysical classical one. After discussing some basic concepts in Philosophy, we revisit the situation of…

History and Philosophy of Physics · Physics 2023-01-19 J. E. Horvath , R. Rosas Fernandes , T. E. Idiart

We begin by discussing ``What exists?'', i.e. ontology, in Classical Physics which provided a description of physical phenomena at the macroscopic level. The microworld however necessitates a introduction of Quantum ideas for its…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2007-05-23 Virendra Singh

The scientific methodology based on two descriptive levels, ontic (reality as it is ) and epistemic (observational), is briefly presented. Following Schr\"odinger, we point to the possible gap between these two descriptions. Our main aim is…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2018-08-07 Andrei Khrennikov

Quantum theory is a tremendously successful physical theory, but nevertheless suffers from two serious problems: the measurement problem and the problem of interpretational underdetermination. The latter, however, is largely overlooked as a…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2015-05-18 Holger Lyre

Historically, appearance of the quantum theory led to a prevailing view that Nature is indeterministic. The arguments for the indeterminism and proposals for indeterministic and deterministic approaches are reviewed. These include collapse…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2014-07-08 Lev Vaidman

Perhaps one of the most intriguing questions in philosophy concerns the true nature of external reality. In this paper, we discuss some of the theories that have been put forth regarding the nature of reality and of our perceived universe.…

General Mathematics · Mathematics 2007-05-23 Ashwin Vaidya , Bong-Jae Chung

The quantum-mechanical description of the world, including human observers, makes substantial use of entanglement. In order to understand this, we need to adopt concepts of truth, probability and time which are unfamiliar in modern…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2013-04-23 Anthony Sudbery