Has Anything Changed? Tracking Long-Term Interpretational Preferences in Quantum Mechanics

TL;DR

This study surveys physicists to assess long-term trends in interpretational preferences of quantum mechanics, revealing a persistent favor for the Copenhagen interpretation despite ongoing debates.

Contribution

It provides updated, more representative data on physicists' interpretational preferences and compares these with historical surveys to analyze stability over time.

Findings

Copenhagen remains the most preferred interpretation.

Preferences have remained stable over decades.

Educational emphasis influences interpretational choices.

Abstract

As we approach the centennial anniversary of modern quantum mechanics this paper revisits the foundational debates through a new poll within the research community. Inspired by the survey by Schlosshauer, Kofler, and Zeilinger at the specialized 2011 Quantum Physics and the Nature of Reality conference, we expanded our recruitment to include a more representative sample of the broader community of physicists with the aim to reveal potential shifts in scientists' views and compare our findings with those from several previous polls. While quantum foundations still lack a consensus interpretation, our results indicate a persistent preference for the Copenhagen interpretation. This enduring support likely reflects both the educational emphasis on the Copenhagen interpretation and its pragmatic appeal in avoiding complex metaphysical questions and introducing new notions (e.g., other worlds or the pilot wave). Our findings thus underscore the relative stability of interpretational preferences over the past decades.