ENCORE Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?) with Adam Becker

What It Covers

Astrophysicist and author Adam Becker joins Ologies to explain quantum ontology — the study of what quantum physics reveals about reality. Becker covers the measurement problem, wave function collapse, the many-worlds interpretation, pilot wave theory, quantum computing, and why "shut up and calculate" fails as a scientific philosophy. His book *What Is Real?* frames the debate.

Key Questions Answered

• •The Measurement Problem: Quantum physics uses two contradictory equations — the Schrödinger equation governs particles when unobserved, while the Born rule governs measurement outcomes. No consensus exists on when to apply which rule. This logical gap has persisted for nearly 100 years, and physicists who dismiss it as resolved are, per Becker, demonstrably wrong. Understanding this gap is the entry point to all serious quantum interpretation debates.
• •Many-Worlds Interpretation: Hugh Everett III proposed in the 1950s that the Schrödinger equation applies universally — always, without exception. When you observe a particle, you don't collapse its wave function; instead, reality branches and you split into multiple copies. Each copy observes one outcome. This eliminates wave function collapse entirely but produces a constantly multiplying multiverse, with branching occurring at every quantum event.
• •Pilot Wave Theory: Louis de Broglie and later David Bohm proposed that particles always have definite positions, guided by an associated wave. This resolves the measurement problem but introduces instantaneous connections between entangled particles across any distance — faster than light. Crucially, this connection cannot transmit information, so it doesn't violate relativity in a usable way, though it remains philosophically uncomfortable for many physicists.
• •Quantum Computing Scope: Quantum computers use superposition and entanglement to accelerate specific computational algorithms, not all computing tasks. Classical computers outperform quantum ones in many areas. Google's Sycamore processor solved in 200 seconds a math problem estimated to take a classical supercomputer 10,000 years. No serious researcher in the field expects quantum computers to replace conventional computers or smartphones — the two serve different computational purposes.
• •Writing Large Projects in Small Units: Becker completed a 90,000-word book by committing to 600 words per day, outlining each chapter first, and producing deliberately rough first drafts. He worked in 50-minute focused blocks with 10-minute breaks, reading only fiction during breaks to keep language flowing without contaminating his nonfiction voice. He kept a "spare parts" file for cut material rather than deleting it, reducing psychological resistance to editing.
• •Simulation Theory Critique: Arguments that humanity almost certainly lives in a simulation rely on assumptions that technological civilizations inevitably follow a single developmental path toward creating indistinguishable simulations. Becker identifies this as culturally narrow — projecting a specific Western, male, affluent perspective onto all possible intelligent life. Even if simulation theory were correct, the suffering experienced within the simulation remains real and demands the same ethical response as base reality.