So you think YOU'RE confused about quantum mechanics?

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Schrödinger's Cat in a many-worlds quantum mechanical world

(Image: Dhatfield via Wikimedia Commons)

(Photo: Aaron O'Connell via Wikimedia Commons)

Quantum physicists appear to be as confused about quantum mechanics as the average man in the street (Image: Shutterstock)

Article Summary

An invitation-only conference held back in 2011 on the topic "Quantum Physics and the Nature of Reality" (QPNR) saw top physicists, mathematicians, and philosophers of science specializing in the meaning and interpretation of quantum mechanics wrangling over an array of fundamental issues. An interesting aspect of the gathering was that when informally polled on the main issues and open problems in the foundations of quantum mechanics, the results showed that the scientific community still has no clear consensus concerning the basic nature of quantum physics.