Skip to main content
Log in

A Story Without an Ending: The Quantum Physics Controversy 1950–1970

  • Published:
Science & Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

For many decades there has been controversy about the epistemological and ontologicalimplications of quantum mechanics. This article will make some preliminary remarksabout how physicists managed the scientific, philosophical, and even political aspects,of the controversy in order to establish a modus operandi for their work. Theexistence of such a lasting controversy, and its history, is relevant to the teaching ofquantum physics because the choice of the interpretation to be taught impacts on students' understanding of quantum concepts and on their understanding of the goal of science.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aspect, A., Grangier, Ph. & Roger, G.: 1982, ‘Experimental Realization of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bohm Gedanken Experiment: A New Violation of Bell's Inequalities’, Physical Review Letters 49, 91–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aspect, A., Dalibard, J. & Roger, G.: 1982, ‘Experimental Test of Bell's Inequalities Using Time-Varying Analyzers’, Physical Review Letters 49, 1804–1807.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ballentine, L.: 1970, ‘The Statistical Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics’, Reviews of Modern Physics 42, 358–381.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, J. S.: 1964, ‘On the Einstein Podolsky Rosen Paradox’, Physics 1, 195–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, J. S.: 1982, ‘On the Impossible Pilot Wave’, Foundations of Physics 12, 989–999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohm, D.: 1952, ‘A Suggested Interpretation of the Quantum Theory in Terms of “Hidden” Variables, I and II’, Physical Review 85, 166–179, 180–193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clauser, J., Horne, M., Shimony, A. & Holt, R.: 1969, ‘Proposed Experiment to Test Local Hidden-Variable Theories’, Physical Review Letters 23, 880–884.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clauser, J.: 1992, Early History of Bell's Theorem and Experiment, in T. D. Black et al. (eds.), Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, World Scientific, Singapore, pp. 168–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clauser, J.: 2001, Early History of Bell's Theorem, Invited talk at the Eight Rochester Conference on Coherence and Quantum Optics, 13–16 June 2001, University of Rochester.

  • Cross, A.: 1991, ‘The Crisis in Physics: Dialectical Materialism and Quantum Theory’, Social Studies of Science 21, 735–759.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cushing, J.: 1994, Quantum Mechanics-Historical Contingency and the Copenhagen Hegemony, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daneri, A., Loinger, A. & Prosperi, G. M.: 1962, ‘Quantum Theory of Measurement and Ergodicity Conditions’, Nuclear Physics 33, 297–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • D'Espagnat, B.: 1965, Conceptions de la Physique Contemporaine-Les Interprétations de la Mécanique Quantique et de la Mesure, Hermann, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • D'Espagnat, B.: 1966, ‘Two remarks on the Theory of Measurement’, Suppl al Nuovo Cimento 1, 828–838.

    Google Scholar 

  • D'Espagnat, B. (ed).: 1971, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Proceedings of the Int. School of Physics 'Enrico Fermi’, Academic Press.

  • D'Espagnat, B.: 1976, Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, 2nd ed., W. A. Benjamin Inc., Reading [1st ed. 1971].

    Google Scholar 

  • Einstein, A., Podolsky, B., and Rosen, N.: 1935, ‘Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Be Considered Complete?’, Physical Review 47, 777–870.

    Google Scholar 

  • Everett III, H.: 1957, ‘“Relative States” Formulation of Quantum Mechanics’, Reviews of Modern Physics 29, 454–462.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire Jr., O.: 1993, ‘L'interprétation de la Mécanique Quantique Selon Paul Langevin’, La Pensée 292, 117–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire Jr., O.: 1997, ‘Quantum Controversy and Marxism’, Historia Scientiarum 7, 137–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire Jr., O.: 1999, David Bohm e a Controvérsia dos Quanta, Coleção CLE, Vol. 27, Centro de Lógica Epistemologia e Histöria da Ciência, Campinas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire Jr., O.: 2001, ‘Science, Philosophy and Politics in the Fifties-On a Max Born's Unpublished Paper Entitled “Dialectical Materialism and Modern Physics”’, Historia Scientiarum 10, 248–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire Jr., O., Paty, M. & Barros, A. R.: 2002, ‘Physique Quantique et Causalité Selon Bohm-Analyse d'un cas d'Accueil Défavorable, in P. Helgh Kragh, P. Marage & G. Vanpaemel (eds.), History of Modern Physics, Turnhout, Brepols, 261–273.

  • Frisch, O. R.: 1971, ‘The Conceptual Problem of Quantum Theory from the Experimentalist's Point of View’, in T. Bastin (ed.), Quantum Theory and Beyond-Essays and Discussions Arising From a Colloquium, Cambridge University Press, London, pp. 13–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, L.: 1972, Science and Philosophy in the Soviet Union, Knopf, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greca, I. M. & Moreira, M. A.: 2001, ‘Uma Revisao da Literatura Sobre Estudos Relativos ao Ensino de Mecânica Quântica Introdutória’, Investigações em Ensino de Ciências 6(1), [Porto Alegre], Electronic edition.

  • Greca, I. M. & Freire Jr., O.: 2003, ‘Does an Emphasis on The Concept of Quantum States Enhance Students' Understanding of Quantum Mechanics?’, Science & Education 12(5–6), 541–557 (this issue).

    Google Scholar 

  • Greca, I. M. & Herscovitz, V. E.: 2002, ‘Construyendo Significados en Mecánica Cuántica: Fundamentación y Resultados de Una Propuesta Innovadoa para su Introducción en el nivel universitario’, Enseñanza de las Ciencias, Forthcoming.

  • Haroche, S., Raimond, J-M, Brune, M.: 1997, ‘Le Chat de Schrödinger se Prête à l'Expèrience’, La Recherche 301, 50–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jammer, M.: 1974, The Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics-The Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics in Historical Perspective, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kragh, H.: 1999, Quantum Generations-A History of Physics in the Twentieth Century, Princeton University Press.

  • Landé, A.: 1953, ‘Probability in Classical and Quantum Theory’, in Scientific Papers Presented to Max Born, Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh, pp. 59–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landé, A.: 1965, New Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Cambridge University Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mullet, S.: 1999, Political Science: The Red Scare as the Hidden Variable in the Bohmian Interpretation of Quantum Theory, Senior Thesis HIS679, University of Texas at Austin.

  • Olwell, R.: 1999, ‘Physical Isolation and Marginalization in Physics-David Bohm's Cold War Exile, ISIS 90, 738–756.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paty, M.: 1977, ‘The Recent Attempts to Verify Quantum Mechanics’, in José Leite Lopes & Michel Paty, Quantum Mechanics, a Half Century Later, D. Reidel Publishers, Dordrecht, pp. 261–289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paty, M.: 1995, ‘The Nature of Einstein's Objections to the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics’, Foundations of Physics 25, 183–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pauli, W.: 1999, in K. von Meyenn (ed.), Scientific Correspondence, V.IV, Part II: 1953–1954, Springer.

  • Pessoa Jr., O.: 1992, ‘O Estudo da Medição em Mecânica Quântica; um Exame Atualizado’, Cadernos de História e Filosofia da Ciência, série 3, 2, 177–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popper, K.: 1957, ‘The Propensity Interpretation of the Calculus of Probability, and the Quantum Theory’, in S. Körner (ed.), Observation and Interpretation in the Philosophy of Physics-With Special Reference to Quantum Mechanics, Dover Publishing, New York, pp. 65–70, 78–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenfeld, L.: 1953, ‘L'évidence de la Complementarité’, in André George (ed.), Louis de Broglie-Physicien et Penseur, Editions Albin Michel, Paris, pp. 43–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenfeld, L.: 1965, ‘The Measuring Process in Quantum Mechanics’, Suppl Progress of Theoretical Physics, Commemoration issue for the 30th Anniversary of the meson theory by Dr. H. Yukawa, pp. 222–235.

  • Rowe, M. A. et al.: 2001, ‘Experimental Violation of a Bell's Inequality with Efficient Detection’, Nature 409, 791–794.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schrödinger, E.: 1935, ‘Die gegenwärtige Situation in der Quantenmechanik’, Naturwissenschaften 23, 807–812, 823–828, 844–849. Eng. tr. in Wheeler. & Zurek (1983, pp. 152–167).

    Google Scholar 

  • von Neumann, J.: 1932, Mathematische Grundlagen der Quantenmechanik, Springer, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, J. A. & Zurek, W. H. (eds.): 1983, Quantum Theory and Measurement, Princeton University Press, Princeton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wigner, E.: 1963, ‘The Problem of Measurement’, American Journal of Physics 31, 6–15.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Freire, O. A Story Without an Ending: The Quantum Physics Controversy 1950–1970. Science & Education 12, 573–586 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025317927440

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025317927440

Keywords

Navigation