Shaking the Foundations: The Implications of Quantum Theory
The quantum view of the world departs from classical
assumptions in three main ways.
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Determinism has given way to an emphasis on probabilities. We simply do not have
access to enough information to make deterministic predictions. And this is
widely held to be a feature of the world rather than an observational
limitation. See the Schrödinger Wave Equation and Heisenberg’s Uncertainty
Principle.
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Reductionism has given way to a more holistic approach to physical systems. See the EPR Paradox.
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Most basic of all, the classical assumptions of continuity
and divisibility (that between any two points there is an infinite number of
intermediate values) have given way to quantisation
- for certain physical quantities, the range of permissible values is severely
restricted. See collapsing atoms.
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link | Feedback | Contributed by: Dr.
Christopher Southgate
Source: God, Humanity and the
Cosmos (T&T Clark, 1999)
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