Greg Kuhn, said I need a new paradigm. In his book Why Quantum Physicists Do Not Fail he uses a “fish tank” metaphor to explain why a shift is essential; how moving from the worldview we grew up with, classical physics, and embracing the world of quantum physics lets us “solve some..vexing challenges and frustrations.”
He tells the story of “Splash,” busy in her old world fish tank – doing all the right things, with the right attitude; wondering why the heck she can’t reach her goals. She questions herself; is she capable; is she willing; is she committed? Is she worthy? Her failures make her mad, bitter even. Kuhn said she is doing the right things – she just needs a “much better fish tank.”
Laying out “four fundamental things the..first scientific revolution revealed” Kuhn contrasts them with lessons from quantum physics. Classical physics tells us:
- Each “thing” is made of smaller parts with predictable functions. This gave rise to the paradigm of mechanism.
- For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This gave rise to the paradigm we call determinism.
- The observer and the observed are two separate things. This gave rise to the paradigm of separateness.
- Things occur in a logical, linear fashion. This gave rise to the paradigm of logical outcomes.
Thankfully the classical physics paradigm (aka fish tank) brought us out of the dark ages. Wonderful modern ways of living exist thanks to the fearless men and women of science. YET. There is more – the second scientific revolution, quantum physics. Check out these new fish tanks:
- Holism – replaces mechanism: “All matter is made up of unified wholes that are often greater than the sum of their parts.
- Unity – replaces determinism: “There is not necessarily a relationship between cause and effect.”
- Entanglement – replaces separateness: “The observer and the observed cannot be separated.”
- Nonlinearity – replaces logical outcomes: “Systems are not linear.”
Here we are at the crossroads “where physics meets philosophy” that Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kutter spoke of in their book The Quantum Enigma. These four distinctions made by Greg Kuhn are supported by the evidence accumulated by quantum physicists – leading us to conceive of a new paradigm.
I’m ready to rock it! Where do I start?
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“If quantum mechanics hasn’t profoundly shocked you, you haven’t understood it yet.´– Niels Bohr
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