The Brainwash by Bohr

Atoms and the elementary particles themselves are not real; they form a world of potentialities or possibilities rather than things of the facts. (Heisenberg)

There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract quantum mechanical description. (Bohr) 

The End of Modern Physics

Multi-Dimensional Wave Function Without Meaning

The basis of quantum mechanics is the Schrödinger wave equation expressing a balance between potential and kinetic energy of a collection of N atomic kernels and electrons interacting by attractive and repulsive Coulomb electrostatic forces. 

The confusion surrounding quantum mechanics originates from the standard view of considering the Schrödinger equation as a linear equation for a wave function depending on 3N spatial variables plus time. 

Such a multi-dimensional wave function cannot be given a physical meaning, and this is the root of the trouble of quantum mechanics. 

A mathematical model of physical reality, such as the Schrödinger equation in standard form, which cannot be given any physical meaning, is contradictory: physics as non-physics. But contradictions in science are unacceptable and have to be covered-up one way or the other.  Niels Bohr took on the leading role of formulating the cover-up in the 1920s in what later (1955) was termed the Copenhagen Interpretation (CI) by his former assistant Werner Heisenberg.

Physicists of today seem to view quantum mechanics as some form of mathematical magics without physical meaning and pay lip service to CI without really believing.  From scientific point of view this is, of course, catastrophical and has led into the present crisis of physics as a science. See also Mathematics = Magics? 

An indication of the depth of the crisis is given by the many-worlds interpretation of the multi-dimensional wave function by Hugh Everett III suggesting the co-existence of many parallel worlds realizing all possibilities, a completely absurd idea.

 

The price of formulating the Schrödinger wave equation as a linear equation, is a multi-dimensional wave function without physical meaning and a permanent crisis. Instead of stubbornly holding on to a linear wave equation without physical solution, it may be better to reformulate the wave equation so that its solutions can be physically meaningful.

 

The essence of the Schrödinger equation is a balance between potential and kinetic energies of an interacting collection of particles, which can alternatively be expressed as a non-linear system of wave equations for a system of N wave functions in 3 space dimensions plus time. Such a non-linear system of wave functions has a direct physical interpretation as a quantum mechanics analog of a non-linear system of interacting particles in classical mechanics like a planetary system. We refer to this version of quantum mechanics as Many-Minds Quantum Mechanics which we are currently exploring as a possible way to avoid coming to an End of Physics. We live in one many-minds world but not in one of many worlds.

                                    A non-linear system of interacting agents on Wall Street.

                         Pieces of DNA molecules consisting of interacting kernels and electrons.

To see how ridiculus Bohr's quantum mechanics is, try replacing physics in Bohr's statement