Basic Physics Of Quantum Theory, The. Basil S Davis

      Chapter 1

      Introduction

1.1 A new understanding of reality

      There have been some major upheavals in the history of science, when humans were forced to rethink their deeply entrenched ideas of reality, with the result that a prevailing worldview had to make room for a new emerging worldview. Such upheavals — or paradigm shifts — include Copernicus’ heliocentric solar system, Newton’s discovery that the laws of gravity and motion are the same on the earth as on the distant stars, Maxwell’s insight into the nature of light as an electromagnetic wave, Darwin’s theory of evolution according to which humans and animals have a shared origin, and Einstein’s Relativity that brought together space, time and gravitation. Some of these discoveries provoked great consternation, since they conflicted with dominant philosophical and religious worldviews. Others were controversial within the scientific community, but with the growing success of the scientific method — according to which theories must be tested by experiment — controversies gradually yielded to consensus.

      There is one significant discovery, not mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, which stands apart from all the others. The genesis of quantum theory represents the greatest intellectual leap that science has taken in the history of human civilization.

      By the end of the nineteenth century, science had scored a decisive victory as a means of defining a reality that could be agreed upon by everyone regardless of their spiritual, religious or metaphysical traditions. Science had established the material universe with its component objects as an absolute reality that was independent of every subjective belief and perception. Reality was out there. Our scientific observations did not create reality, but only served to confirm the reality that was in existence whether we chose to notice it or not. A tree that fell in a forest made a sound regardless of whether anyone heard it.