When asked ... [about] an underlying quantum world, Bohr would answer, 'There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract quantum physical description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about Nature.'
An independant reality in the ordinary physical sense can neither be ascribed to the phenomenon nor to the agencies of observation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that reality cannot be fully understood through observation alone, as both the phenomena and observers influence it.
Niels Bohr's quote emphasizes the complex relationship between reality, phenomena, and the observers who study them. It highlights the idea that our understanding of reality is not purely objective, as both the phenomena we observe and the observational tools and methods we employ shape our interpretation of the world. This challenges traditional notions of an independent reality and invites deeper contemplation about how knowledge is constructed.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on quantum mechanics, one might quote Bohr to illustrate the intricacies of measurement and reality.
More from Niels Bohr
All quotes βAn expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.
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And anyone who thinks they can talk about quantum theory without feeling dizzy hasn't yet understood the first thing about it.
Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real.
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