“The invisible has always been part of humanity’s interactions with nature. Attempting to explain otherwise inexplicable phenomena, the ancients had invented spirits, forms and gods. In the Western world during the medieval era, those various causes of mysterious effects had coalesced into the idea of one God. Even after the inception of the modern era and the inauguration of the scientific method, investigators working at two extremes of the universe had resorted to two new forms of invisible—the quantum and the unconscious.”
“The difference between our vision of the universe and its 19th century counterpart has turned out to be not a question of what had distinguished each previous era from the preceding one for nearly 300 years: of seeing farther or deeper, of seeing more—of perspective, of how much we see. Instead, it is a question of seeing itself—of perception, of how we see. As much as any discovery, this is what has changed the way we try to make sense of our existence in the 21st century—the way we struggle to investigate our circumstances as sentient creatures in a particular setting: Who are those creatures? What is this setting? It is a new means of discovery—the significance of which, a hundred years later, we are still only beginning to comprehend: that there is more to the universe than we would ever find, if all we ever did was look.”
Richard Panek, (2004) The Invisible Century: Einstein, Freud and the Search for Hidden Universes.
Viking: New York.
Explain why the quantum theory is groundbreaking.
Answers given by students from the Science program.
“The Quantum Theory is groundbreaking because it presents the notion that something perceived one way by humans might actually be something else entirely or a number of different things at once. It makes us realize that we can only perceive things and observe them to the best of our ability using what we already know. We cannot fully understand or know what something really is. An electron can be described as a wave or a particle based on experiments that we can perform. However, at the end of the day, an electron is still an electron. According to our perception, it can be a wave or a particle, or neither, or both. This notion that there are many possibilities that might exist at the same time is overwhelming. Humans like to be able to define things in order to study and develop technologies with them. The Quantum Theory shows that there is a considerable degree of uncertainty when we conduct studies at the atomic level.”
“The Quantum Theory is groundbreaking because it goes beyond our perception. It allows us to question if one really knows what something is. For example, we only know that an electron is like (or behaves like) a particle or a wave, but not what it truly is. Our expectations are challenged. It is difficult to grasp this since we are so used to the idea that what you see is what you get.”
“Quantum Theory transgresses human’s common sense. To understand this theory, we have to think beyond what is (or seems to be) real. It comes back to questioning everything we know. The reality is beyond corporal matter. Our knowledge is restricted to our senses, what we can see and feel. The Quantum Theory goes beyond these basic assumptions, and gives Science a world of its own. How can someone have brought to question something that is beyond our understanding? The images projected by dreams, imagination or insights are an open door or a quick glance to another existence/quantum world that we cannot enter. Since we need to question to come to an insight and understanding, maybe we are all asking the wrong question.”
“The Quantum Theory is groundbreaking because it goes against all common sense and how ordinary people and scientists think. It unveiled a new field of Science of which we know next to nothing. The Quantum Theory put everything we knew in question and shows that by observing something, we change it; therefore we cannot be 100 % sure of anything.”
“Quantum Theory is a field of study that goes against common sense and rationality. It is interesting and groundbreaking because it has no clear boundaries or established expectations. The behavior of both light and electrons is unpredictable under observation.”
“The Quantum Theory is groundbreaking because it is impossible to be exposed to it without the feeling of being amazed and intrigued. It goes against everything we know, our common sense. Normally we believe what we see so it is hard to understand and accept the unusual behavior of the atomic realm. What we know is from observation, yet the fact that the act of observing alters the outcome of an experiment is shocking. Our mind is part of the world, and it is part of any experiment we conduct.”
“Knowing about Quantum Theory causes the necessity to think outside the obvious. The phrase things are never what they seem takes on a new meaning as quantum theory shows that the micro and macroscopic worlds operate differently. It creates multiple possibilities that can exist simultaneously. Quantum theory leads to questioning our perception and, by doing so, connecting art and science.”
“Quantum theory defies our understanding and perception of the world. Its paradoxical character shows that the unthinkable, e.g. particle-wave duality, is actually possible, changing entirely our understanding of Science. It questions our place in the Universe: Who we are and where we are going to. It opens up a new perspective in Philosophy, questioning our search for absolute truth. Since our brains are part of the world, we cannot examine it independently. We cannot get an independent outlook on our world.”
“The Quantum theory is groundbreaking because it makes one look at everything from a different, unique perspective. It also makes one realize that there is so much more than just things that can be understood. Since many things do not make sense in the real world, instead of using words, one can use art to express them in a more effective way.”
“The Quantum Theory is groundbreaking because it is something that is not only about knowledge, but it is also about experiment, seeing things from different perspectives. The Quantum Theory is a sophisticated representation of reality that defies our common sense. We interfere with reality since our brains are part of the world.”
“Our world is so complex that it is hard for us to fully understand it. The Quantum Theory has changed the world’s perception on what reality could be because it is very different to Classical (Newtonian) Physics. In contrast to what many people think, Science becomes a relative study that contradicts common sense. Quantum Theory was not only groundbreaking in the world of Sciences: It developed the world of Art and Philosophy. When it comes to subatomic particles, Newtonian views cannot be applied. In fact, our world is so mysterious that we can never really distinguish reality from illusion.”
“Because it is something beyond our comprehension, we do not usually think about it. It goes against our common sense. For example, light and electrons exhibit the wave-particle duality. All things we study in the atomic level are mere representations. Things that we see are not necessarily real.”
Answers given by students from the Liberal Arts program.
“Quantum Theory, the Second Scientific Revolution, is groundbreaking because it negates the infallibility of our senses. At the base, it shows that atoms are almost entirely void. This is confusing because objects seem to be whole. It disproves our sensorial perceptions. Quantum theory also presents multiple answers to complicated questions. Light, for example, can be either a wave or a particle, and Schrödinger’s cat is both dead and alive simultaneously, which demonstrates that finding simple answers is not the case in Quantum Physics. Our senses are distorted, and regular rules are broken.”
“One of the main reasons why the discovery of the quanta is so groundbreaking is the conundrum it poses. These entities can behave as a wave or a particle, both or neither simultaneously in different settings. This shows the limitations that our perception places on our ability to understand the present activities of our imminent reality. It also brings up the issue of an observer affecting the action of particles, causing them to behave in certain ways. We also have to cope with the reality that multiple uncollapsed wave functions coexist.”
“Quantum Theory is groundbreaking because it goes against everything we thought was true about the behavior of matter. It brings up the philosophical question of whether or not we can trust our senses and our perception in types of situations never experienced before. It also demonstrates our limitations as human beings.”
“Quantum Theory has had a big impact on people’s perception of the world because it has shaken the very foundations of the scientific method. Prior to the discovery of the quantum theory, science was the only source of certainty that people could rely on. Because of its paradoxical nature, it has perplexed people and made them question their certainties, whether scientific or regarding their senses.”
“The Quantum Theory is such a groundbreaking discovery because it distorts our perspective of science. The experiments of electrons passing through two slits show that the results depend on our perception. It poses the question of what is real and what is not, defying what we believe to be common sense. Depending on our perception, images and their meaning might appear different, e.g., what do we perceive when a hat is being called snow? The Second Scientific Revolution deals with the nature of the observer.”
“Quantum is groundbreaking by developing the areas of mathematics and logic. Quantum utilizes new ideas whose applications have revolutionized science and technology. It also explores perception and ways of thinking to realize that what might appear impractical or even impossible to be plausible. It is collection of new ideas that do not fit the classical approach, cementing its place in the history of innovations.”
“At the beginning, science dealt with the visible. Modern science deals also with the invisible. The Quantum Theory is groundbreaking due to the lack of consistency with the classical views, in which observable facts had explanations that do not defy common sense.”
“Prior to Quantum Theory, the scientific community was confident in its ability to describe and predict reality, providing objective answers to all questions. The discovery of the quantum provided a push towards a movement in which uncertainty became the norm. Electrons and light can behave as particles or waves. This duality contradicted prior notions where the world was black and white, and particles were attached to permanent labels in terms of their nature. Stating that something is either a wave or a particle is a human construction. Both concepts are human representations of reality, rather than being intrinsically true.”
“Quantum theory is groundbreaking because it defies common sense and redefines our notions of what light, electrons, and the universe are. Quantum theory provides indications that something can be two things (duality) and that parallel universes can exist. Quantum theory opened the doors of the unknown and the unknowable, where light and electrons present the wave-particle duality.”
“Quantum theory changes the way we view the universe. We are now forced to look at the conceptual framework of electrons and light from new angles, going against what was previously established. By proposing the duality of light and electrons, scientists are able to explain otherwise bewildering experimental outcomes.”