There’s No Wave Function? | Jacob Barandes [Part 1]

Video Description

In today’s episode, Jacob Barandes, a physicist specializing in quantum mechanics, explores groundbreaking ideas on measurement, the role of probabilistic laws, and the foundational principles of quantum theory. With a focus on interdisciplinary approaches, Jacob offers unique insights into the nature of particles, fields, and the evolution of quantum mechanics. New Substack! Follow my personal writings and EARLY ACCESS episodes here: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com SPONSOR (THE ECONOMIST): As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe LINKS MENTIONED: - Jacob Barandes' website: https://www.jacobbarandes.com/ (find his papers and seminar talks there, on the double-slit and more) - Jacob Barandes' "The Stochastic-Quantum Correspondence" paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.10778 - Jacob's Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BepZY0gAAAAJ - Wigner’s paper ‘Remarks on the Mind-Body Question’: https://www.informationphilosopher.com/solutions/scientists/wigner/Wigner_Remarks.pdf - Jacob’s lecture on Hilbert Spaces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmaSAG4J6nw&ab_channel=OxfordPhilosophyofPhysics - John von Neumann’s book on ‘Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics’: https://amzn.to/48OkeVj - The 1905 Papers (Albert Einstein): https://guides.loc.gov/einstein-annus-mirabilis/1905-papers - Dividing Quantum Channels (paper): https://arxiv.org/pdf/math-ph/0611057 - Sean Carroll on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AoRxtYZrZo - Scott Aaronson and Leonard Susskind’s paper on ‘Quantum Necromancy’: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2009.07450 - Scott Aaronson on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZpGCQoL2Rk - Leonard Susskind on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_Hlm6aCok - Ekkolapto’s website: https://www.ekkolapto.org/ - Jacob's "Wigner's Friend" Flow Chart: https://shared.jacobbarandes.com/images/wigners-friend-flow-chart-2025 - Jacob's Lecture Notes: https://shared.jacobbarandes.com/documents/double-slit-interference-unistochastic-lecture-notes TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction 01:26 - Jacob's Background 07:32 - Pursuing Theoretical Physics 10:28 - Is Consciousness Linked to Quantum Mechanics? 16:07 - Why the Wave Function Might Not Be Real 20:12 - The Schrödinger Equation Explained 23:04 - Higher Dimensions in Quantum Physics 30:11 - Heisenberg’s Matrix Mechanics 35:08 - Schrödinger’s Wave Function and Its Implications 39:57 - Dirac and von Neumann's Quantum Axioms 45:09 - The Problem with Hilbert Spaces 50:02 - Wigner's Friend Paradox 55:06 - Challenges in Defining Measurement in Quantum Mechanics 01:00:17 - Trying to Simplify Quantum for Students 01:03:35 - Bridging Quantum Mechanics with Stochastic Processes 01:05:05 - Discovering Indivisible Stochastic Processes 01:12:03 - Interference and Coherence Explained 01:16:06 - Redefining Measurement and Decoherence 01:18:01 - The Future of Quantum Theory 1:24:09 - Foundationalism and Quantum Theory 1:25:04 - Why Use Indivisible Stochastic Laws? 1:26:10 - The Quantum-Classical Transition 1:27:30 - Classical vs Quantum Probabilities 1:28:36 - Hilbert Space and the Convenience of Amplitudes 1:30:01 - No Special Role for Observers 1:33:40 - Emergence of the Wave Function 1:38:27 - Physicists' Reluctance to Change Foundations 1:43:04 - Resolving Quantum Mechanics' Inconsistencies 1:50:46 - Practical Applications of Indivisible Stochastic Processes 1:57:53 - Understanding Particles in the Indivisible Stochastic Model 2:00:48 - Is There a Fundamental Ontology? 2:07:02 - Advice for Students Entering Physics 2:09:32 - Encouragement for Interdisciplinary Research 2:12:22 - Outro TOE'S TOP LINKS: - Support TOE on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal (early access to ad-free audio episodes!) - Listen to TOE on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e - Become a YouTube Member Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Join TOE's Newsletter 'TOEmail' at https://www.curtjaimungal.org Other Links: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs - iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802 - Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything #science #sciencepodcast #physics #quantumphysics #theoreticalphysics