Posted on 05/18/2005 12:57:13 PM PDT by roaddog727
The Cosmic Plenum: Bohm's Gnosis: The Implicate Order
This article discusses the vision David Bohm intuited from his insight (gnosis) into the quantum world. This vision discerns the characteristics of an evolving cosmos in process; and, also, it ponders upon the implications for humanity. Bohm's scientific presentations are not in this article; however, they can be found in his books listed in the Reference Section at the end of these series of articles.
BOHM AND THE IMPLICATE ORDER: AN INTRODUCTION
David Bohm, an American, was one of the leading quantum physicists of our age. He died recently. Following a venerable career at the University of California (Berkeley) and at Princeton's Institute of Advanced Studies, he moved to become Professor of Theoretical Physics at Birkbeck College of the University of London. During his later years he linked a formidable knowledge of the history and philosophy of science to his keen experience as a physicist.
In recent years, Bohm attempted to explain an ontological basis for quantum theory. The basis of quantum theory can be summarized in three propositions:
1.) In the subatomic world, few things can be predicted with 100 percent precision; however, accurate predictions can be made about the probability of any particular outcome.
2.) One has to work with the probabilities rather than certainties, because it is impossible (for an observer) to describe all aspects of a particle at once (speed and location).
3.) Electromagnetic energy (such as light or heat) does not always behave like a continuous wave--rather it is grainy, because energy can be transferred only in quantum packages. Therefore, light has a dual character. Under certain circumstances, it may display wavelike aspects; and in other circumstances, it may have the characteristics of particles.
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Be nice.
Ping
For your Science ping list - this should certainly stir up some lively debate.
A long read, but well worth it.
Enjoy.
I have thought about this alot, and come to some conclusions.
I believe what we are seeing in the QM/Relativity contrast is really the wave/particle duality.
QM deals with events that either happen or don't. An electron is in a certain energy state or another, but not one inbetween. Thus, it has a discrete, particulate, non-differentiable nature to it.
Relativity, OTOH, deals with waves. Relative distances, which are variable depending on your frame of reference. It is a continuous, differentible, wave-like theory.
Bell has proven they can never be reconciled. There is no "hidden-variable" theory that can transform a QM framework into a Relativistic framework.
It is almost as if we are living in two separate, overlapping universes. I prefer the term "multiverse". Things are the way they are depending on how we look at them.
Well--there are problems with Bohm's view--I don't know that there are ways to test it out against other ways of looking at quantum mechanics such as traditional QM where statistical particles end up in a given location as they interact with other "non-local" particle fields but without Bohm's higher realities (or string theories).
read my tag
Where's the bit about the number of angels he's determined to sit on the head of a pin?
The central underlying theme of Bohm's theory is the "unbroken wholeness of the totality of existence as an undivided flowing movement without borders."
Could this be a possible tie-in to the U.S. immigration policy?
Quantum physics is just the Universe messin' with our heads, man...
Also, how does he feel about dead cats?
Interesting post. IMHO, his "spiritualism" sounded a bit like that ancient heresy, Manicheeism, now couched in scientific jargon.
Uhhh? Where did you get that idea from? You need to look at the above propositions 1) and 2) of Quantum Theory again. There is no certainity in QM until you make the measurement -- until then only probabilities.
He's agin 'em, unless they belong to Schrodinger.
It's actually very simple: the independent sub-totality known as David Bohm has ceased relative autonomous activity, effectively overcoming the illusion of manifest versus nonmanifest. Say howdy to the Cosmic Apex for me there, Dave.
You might want to check out Dyson's Equation, which describes relativistic quantum mechanics.
LOL! But is he still interacting with all other particles in the universe?
"Things are the way they are depending on how we look at them."
Thoughts are things, and reality is, at its base, someting approaching illusion. Time is also illusion. Bringing all this back to the level of reality in which we "sub entities" exist, this can explain the effectiveness of prayer, "curses," "spells" or whatever name you might wish to apply to altering the outward appearance of a probabilistic future set of realities. Or, that's my two cents on the matter, at least. LOL.
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