Re: The reasoning behind my quantum concerns

    Responding to John's concerns about QM-uncertainty and determinism,
Iain says,
>I believe that God built the world according to quantum mechanics, and
>maybe that is so we can never be sure - that faith is the only way,

    Theologically, I think it's true that "we can never be sure - that
faith is the only way." Maybe part of this is due to QM, or maybe not.
But either way, one excellent reason for God to use QM as a basis for
nature is simply to make the universe "work" so natural process will allow
life, so we can have sunshine, water, and DNA. The following excerpt is
from http://www.asa3.org/ASA/education/views/qm17.htm

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    When you first study quantum mechanics ideas (proposing that an atom is
mostly empty space, and all matter has wave-properties) it might seem that
matter is not very substantial or reliable. But the strange wave-nature of
electrons is what causes energy quantization, and this in turn produces
things that we consider normal, that allow life. In the following passage,
from page 101 of The History of Quantum Mechanics, Victor Guillemin
describes what would happen if Planck's constant was zero, which would mean
that energy was not quantized:
    The deterministic laws of classical mechanics would be universally
valid, a highly desirable state of affairs, so it would seem. However, if
Planck's constant were zero, there would have been no Planck, and indeed no
rational beings, or any forms of life, for it is quantization that accounts
for the existence of stability and organization in the atomic substratum of
the universe. Because the energy content of atoms is restricted to certain
discrete values (page 57), an assault of considerable energy is needed to
jolt them out of their normal state, and afterward they return quickly and
precisely to normal. Without quantization there could be no definite
normal state. Any electronic configuration whatsoever would be possible,
and the slightest disturbance could alter this configuration permanently.
Atoms would have no stable and specific properties. There would be no
well-defined organization of atoms into molecules or of molecules into
large structures. The universe would be a formless and meaningless blob
without history, plan or purpose. In our present earthly environment
quantization alone makes atoms act - to use Newton's words - like the
"solid, massy, hard, impenetrable particles" formed by God in the
beginning, "that nature may be lasting."
    This is a good description of why quantization is necessary for life.
But to make a non-quantum universe seem even less desirable, think about
what would happen to protons (with positive electric charge) and electrons
(with negative charge) if there was no wave-particle duality and
quantization: they would attract each other until they came into contact
and formed +- clumps that would be useless as building blocks for life.

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    I'm not smart enough to know if a QM-based universe is essential for
life, if God could design a universe with life but without QM. But in our
universe, QM is certainly an essential part of a natural world that allows
life.

Praise God for his wonderful design! :<)

Craig Rusbult
Received on Mon Mar 14 19:59:18 2005