PIRSA:09090077

Confusing Ontic and Epistemic Causes Trouble in Classical Physics Too

APA

Mermin, N.D. (2009). Confusing Ontic and Epistemic Causes Trouble in Classical Physics Too. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. https://pirsa.org/09090077

MLA

Mermin, N. David. Confusing Ontic and Epistemic Causes Trouble in Classical Physics Too. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Sep. 27, 2009, https://pirsa.org/09090077

BibTex

          @misc{ scivideos_PIRSA:09090077,
            doi = {10.48660/09090077},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/09090077},
            author = {Mermin, N. David},
            keywords = {},
            language = {en},
            title = {Confusing Ontic and Epistemic Causes Trouble in Classical Physics Too},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics},
            year = {2009},
            month = {sep},
            note = {PIRSA:09090077 see, \url{https://scivideos.org/pirsa/09090077}}
          }
          

N. David Mermin Cornell University

Talk numberPIRSA:09090077
Talk Type Conference

Abstract

The subject of this conference is the Quantum State --- what the hell it is. A central issue is whether quantum states describe reality (the ontic view) or an agent's knowledge of reality (the epistemic view). Advocates of the epistemic view maintain that many quantum puzzles and conundra are artifacts of an inappropriate reification of strictly epistemic concepts. To provide a broader context for such considerations, I argue that even in classical physics we have got into major trouble by inappropriately conferring physical reality on the abstractions we have used to organize what we know.