Quantum Theology2
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QUANTUM THEOLOGY : M. M. NINAN<br />
to effect in the physical world. If this is known we can predict the<br />
future from the present.<br />
This led to the development of what is known as the Hidden<br />
Variable Theory. It assumes that if we had known the whole truth<br />
we could retain both realism and predictability. What is lacking<br />
in quantum theory is that we have only a part of the information.<br />
It is the hidden variable in our knowledge that causes the crunch.<br />
John von Neuman apparently proved through a slight twist in the<br />
mathematical formalism that no such theories could be<br />
developed. (This was later proved to be a false alarm based on<br />
a mathematical error by Bell)<br />
So Bohr put forward his complementarity principle, which led to<br />
the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory.<br />
5.3 The complementarity concept of Bohr<br />
This proposes that the state of the system is the complete only<br />
with the microscopic system plus the macroscopic measurement<br />
apparatus. Then the complementary nature of wave-particle<br />
duality, and the character of the uncertainty principle are an<br />
intrinsic property of the nature and not a peculiarity of the<br />
measurement process.<br />
In Bohr's Copenhagen interpretation, it does not make any sense<br />
to speak about characteristics of the quantum system in itself<br />
explicitly without the rest of the wider system including the<br />
measuring devices. It is therefore even more senseless to assign<br />
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