Monday, July 2, 2007

Orthodox theories

Orthodox theories. In such theories it is accepted that the particles
genuinely are identical, so there is nothing available with which to
answer the question except the statement that it is a random choice,
subject only to the requirement that when the same experiment is
repeated many times the correct proportion have been reflected.
Quantum theory, as normally understood, is a theory of this type.
If such theories are correct then determinism, as defined in 0 1.1, is
not a property of our world; probability enters physics in an
intrinsic way and not just through our ignorance. The situation is thus different in nature from that of people passing the Jet d’eau
in Geneva. Herein lies the second revolution of quantum physics to
which we referred in the opening section. The physical world is not
deterministic. It is worth noting here that, although quantum
phenomena are readily seen only on the microscopic scale, this lack
of determinism can easily manifest itself on any macroscopic scale
one might choose.

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