Obliterating Thingness: An Introduction to the "What" and the "So What" of Quantum Physics

TL;DR

This paper introduces quantum physics concepts to arts, humanities, and social sciences audiences, clarifying scientific scope and emphasizing the non-thing nature of quantum units, while discussing interpretative debates.

Contribution

It provides an accessible overview of quantum ideas, delineates scientific boundaries, and highlights philosophical debates relevant to non-technical audiences.

Findings

Quantum units are not 'things' and do not follow classical logic.

There is substantial debate over the interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Quantum-inspired ideas influence arts and social sciences discourse.

Abstract

This essay provides a short introduction to the ideas and potential implications of quantum physics for scholars in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Quantum-inspired ideas pepper current discourse in all of these fields, in ways that range from playful metaphors to sweeping ontological claims. We explain several of the most important concepts at the core of quantum theory, carefully delineating the scope and bounds of currently established science, in order to aid the evaluation of such claims. In particular, we emphasize that the smallest units of matter and light, as described in quantum physics, are not {\em things}, meaning that they do not obey the logic we take for granted when discussing the behavior of macroscopic objects. We also highlight the substantial debate that exists within physics about the interpretation of the equations and empirical results at the core of quantum physics, noting that implicit (and contested) philosophical commitments necessarily accompany any discussion of quantum ideas that takes place in non-technical language.