Imaginary numbers might describe the universe

[Cypress]

I am not a scientific realist. Neither was Heisenberg.

In the early days of quantum mechanics, the theory was so weird and counter intuitive, that a lot of scientists, including Einstein, thought it was a mathematical convenience, a placeholder until we could come up with a better, more complete theory of the subatomic realm.

These days, I think most physicists consider the Heisenberg uncertainty principle to be a true intrinsic property of nature, rather than a mathematical gimmick.

[T. A. Gardner]

I think they're wrong about i and need to square things to make it right.

[AProudLefty]

In the early days of quantum mechanics, the theory was so weird and counter intuitive, that a lot of scientists, including Einstein, thought it was a mathematical convenience, a placeholder until we could come up with a better, more complete theory of the subatomic realm.

These days, I think most physicists consider the Heisenberg uncertainty principle to be a true intrinsic property of nature, rather than a mathematical gimmick.

To counter the argument, the imaginary number is a shortcut to solving the equations.

[Cypress]

To counter the argument, the imaginary number is a shortcut to solving the equations.

I will take your word for it. The mathematics of the quantum wave function is beyond my mathematical background and education.

[T. A. Gardner]

Maybe we just haven't grasped the gravity of this situation sufficiently...

[AProudLefty]

I will take your word for it. The mathematics of the quantum wave function is beyond my mathematical background and education.

Not my word. It's from the article you linked to.

But whether quantum theory needs these mathematical chimeras or just uses them as convenient shortcuts has long been controversial.

[AProudLefty]

Maybe we just haven't grasped the gravity of this situation sufficiently...

Even Biden gets it.

[Cypress]

Not my word. It's from the article you linked to.

But whether quantum theory needs these mathematical chimeras or just uses them as convenient shortcuts has long been controversial.

Oh yeah!
There is always a flipside to these topics, that's what makes them interesting

[T. A. Gardner]

It's nearly all Greek to me...