The Universe is a giant illusion
Belo Horizonte (Brazil), 1950.
This is the story of a man who was chasing a ghost called “Universe.” Out of any schema, he will
find this ghost in the beaches of Belo Horizonte (Brazil).
Welcome to the curious story of David Bohm, an American physicist with unusual ideas but down
on his luck. In the early 50s, the witches are back in the US, and the scarecrow, agitated by the
name of “McCarthyism”, points the finger at anyone who is suspected of having sympathy towards
the communist regime. We are on the launch pad for the future Cold War, and the unwanted are
sent out of the US borders.
Today, however, the fate has a welcome surprise for David Bohm. Another eccentric scientist,
Richard Feynman, with a head for Quantum mechanics and an offbeat sense of humor, is enjoying
his sabbatical year in Brazil. It is not just about beers and beautiful women: Feynman, who is
writing fundamental contributions to Quantum cosmology, is igniting in Bohm the desire to
continue his challenge to the "orthodox" interpretation of Quantum physics. The so-called
Copenhagen’s orthodox interpretation of Quantum mechanics affirms that physical systems do not
have definite attributes before being measured. For this reason, Quantum mechanics can only
predict the probabilities that measurements will produce a set of results.
David Bohm, on the other hand, believes that Quantum mechanics is just like a beautiful wine, that
we are putting it in old bottles. According to him, Quantum randomness need not be intrinsic to
nature. It might simply reflect our way of probing the Quantum realm. On the other hand, Bohm
theorizes that Quantum physics is just the surface view of a radically holistic reality. A reality
which, despite its apparent solidity, was nothing but a ghost, a huge hologram projected somewhere
and beautifully detailed.
Bohm coined the word "holomovement" to refer to his theory: the terms "holo" and "movement"
relate to two fundamental features of reality: The “movement” portion refers to the fact that reality
is in perpetual dynamic flux. The “holo” portion signifies that reality is structured in a manner that
is very similar to holography.
As you probably have heard, a hologram is a 3D photo made with the aid of a laser. The word is
derived from Greek with “hólos” meaning whole, and “gramma” meaning message.
To produce a hologram, a laser is used to irradiate a physical object we want to project. A second
laser beam is bounced off the reflected light of the first laser, and the interference pattern is
recorded. When the developed film is illuminated by another laser beam, a 3D image of the
photographed object magically appears.
Holograms have surprising traits if you compare them with a regular photo: if you cut up an
ordinary photograph into smaller bits, you will end up with each piece as a separate part of an
intricate puzzle. But if you divide the hologram into smaller sections, each one will contain a
smaller, blurrier, but exact version of the whole picture.This peculiar trait of holograms didn't pass unnoticed by Bohm: he assumed that even if the Universe shows up as solid, in reality, it is a magnificent hologram. Just like holograms hold information about the whole in every part, so does the physical reality.
To explain his theory, Bohm used this example: let's think of an aquarium containing a fish. Also,
we assume that the aquarium is not first-hand visible to our eyes but only through a pair of cameras,
one set frontally and the other sideways with the aquarium. Each camera can then be watched
through a monitor. As we look at the two monitors, we may think that the fishes visible on the
monitors are two different ones as the distinct positions of cameras trick us. Continuing to observe
the two monitors, we will eventually realize that there is a particular connection between the fishes
in the aquarium: when one turns, so does the other; when one looks straight in the camera, the other
will look sideways. If we are totally unaware of the real purpose of the experiment, we might come
to the conclusion that the two fish are communicating with each other instantly, in a weird and
obscure way.
Bohm, thus, firmly believed that the behavior of subatomic particles contains a clue about a reality
we are not aware of; a dimension that goes beyond ours. If the subatomic particles appear separate
to our eyes, it’s because we are able to see only a tiny part of reality; they are not “separate” parts
but legos of a deeper and basic whole holographic Universe. Therefore, since everything in physical
reality consists of these “images”, it follows that the Universe itself is a projection, a hologram. You
can call it, as well, a giant light illusion.
In addition to its illusory nature, this Universe would have other astonishing features: if the
separation between subatomic particles is fictitious but not actual, at a deeper level all things are
infinitely linked. As crazy as it might seem the electrons of our brain are connected to the subatomic
particles of a salmon jumping a fall or to a star shining in the sky.
Just like a rebel Monk shouted some centuries before, everything makes everything happen.
Although human nature tries to classify and divide the various phenomena of the Universe, each
subdivision is necessarily artificial, and the Universe is nothing but an immense uninterrupted
network.
In a holographic Universe, we are able to see only one face of reality: the one elaborated by our
brain, which can sense things like space and time that in reality don't exist!
This opens up a significant gap to a multitude of sciences such as the study of brain functions. No
known mechanism has so far been able, for example, to explain how memories are confined and
organized in our brain until we apply these concepts to the holographic theory of the Universe.
The memories would not be stored in neurons, but in the patterns of nerve impulses intersecting
throughout the brain, just like the two laser beams intersect, creating the interference pattern needed
to construct the holographic image.
In essence, what we can see is just a secondary reality which is generated by our brain, from a
holographic blur of frequencies. David Bohm continued his research, entering unexplored corners of Quantum theory and collected in a work published posthumously in 1993, called "The Undivided Universe: An Ontological Interpretation of Quantum Theory (1993)"
.
In October 2014, twenty years after his death, a team of physicists led by Daniel Grumiller at the
Vienna University of Technology, recently published the first-ever study offering concrete evidence
that the so-called holographic principle is entirely compatible with our Universe.
This is the story of a man who was chasing a ghost called “Universe.” Out of any schema, he will
find this ghost in the beaches of Belo Horizonte (Brazil).
Welcome to the curious story of David Bohm, an American physicist with unusual ideas but down
on his luck. In the early 50s, the witches are back in the US, and the scarecrow, agitated by the
name of “McCarthyism”, points the finger at anyone who is suspected of having sympathy towards
the communist regime. We are on the launch pad for the future Cold War, and the unwanted are
sent out of the US borders.
Today, however, the fate has a welcome surprise for David Bohm. Another eccentric scientist,
Richard Feynman, with a head for Quantum mechanics and an offbeat sense of humor, is enjoying
his sabbatical year in Brazil. It is not just about beers and beautiful women: Feynman, who is
writing fundamental contributions to Quantum cosmology, is igniting in Bohm the desire to
continue his challenge to the "orthodox" interpretation of Quantum physics. The so-called
Copenhagen’s orthodox interpretation of Quantum mechanics affirms that physical systems do not
have definite attributes before being measured. For this reason, Quantum mechanics can only
predict the probabilities that measurements will produce a set of results.
David Bohm, on the other hand, believes that Quantum mechanics is just like a beautiful wine, that
we are putting it in old bottles. According to him, Quantum randomness need not be intrinsic to
nature. It might simply reflect our way of probing the Quantum realm. On the other hand, Bohm
theorizes that Quantum physics is just the surface view of a radically holistic reality. A reality
which, despite its apparent solidity, was nothing but a ghost, a huge hologram projected somewhere
and beautifully detailed.
Bohm coined the word "holomovement" to refer to his theory: the terms "holo" and "movement"
relate to two fundamental features of reality: The “movement” portion refers to the fact that reality
is in perpetual dynamic flux. The “holo” portion signifies that reality is structured in a manner that
is very similar to holography.
As you probably have heard, a hologram is a 3D photo made with the aid of a laser. The word is
derived from Greek with “hólos” meaning whole, and “gramma” meaning message.
To produce a hologram, a laser is used to irradiate a physical object we want to project. A second
laser beam is bounced off the reflected light of the first laser, and the interference pattern is
recorded. When the developed film is illuminated by another laser beam, a 3D image of the
photographed object magically appears.
Holograms have surprising traits if you compare them with a regular photo: if you cut up an
ordinary photograph into smaller bits, you will end up with each piece as a separate part of an
intricate puzzle. But if you divide the hologram into smaller sections, each one will contain a
smaller, blurrier, but exact version of the whole picture.This peculiar trait of holograms didn't pass unnoticed by Bohm: he assumed that even if the Universe shows up as solid, in reality, it is a magnificent hologram. Just like holograms hold information about the whole in every part, so does the physical reality.
To explain his theory, Bohm used this example: let's think of an aquarium containing a fish. Also,
we assume that the aquarium is not first-hand visible to our eyes but only through a pair of cameras,
one set frontally and the other sideways with the aquarium. Each camera can then be watched
through a monitor. As we look at the two monitors, we may think that the fishes visible on the
monitors are two different ones as the distinct positions of cameras trick us. Continuing to observe
the two monitors, we will eventually realize that there is a particular connection between the fishes
in the aquarium: when one turns, so does the other; when one looks straight in the camera, the other
will look sideways. If we are totally unaware of the real purpose of the experiment, we might come
to the conclusion that the two fish are communicating with each other instantly, in a weird and
obscure way.
Bohm, thus, firmly believed that the behavior of subatomic particles contains a clue about a reality
we are not aware of; a dimension that goes beyond ours. If the subatomic particles appear separate
to our eyes, it’s because we are able to see only a tiny part of reality; they are not “separate” parts
but legos of a deeper and basic whole holographic Universe. Therefore, since everything in physical
reality consists of these “images”, it follows that the Universe itself is a projection, a hologram. You
can call it, as well, a giant light illusion.
In addition to its illusory nature, this Universe would have other astonishing features: if the
separation between subatomic particles is fictitious but not actual, at a deeper level all things are
infinitely linked. As crazy as it might seem the electrons of our brain are connected to the subatomic
particles of a salmon jumping a fall or to a star shining in the sky.
Just like a rebel Monk shouted some centuries before, everything makes everything happen.
Although human nature tries to classify and divide the various phenomena of the Universe, each
subdivision is necessarily artificial, and the Universe is nothing but an immense uninterrupted
network.
In a holographic Universe, we are able to see only one face of reality: the one elaborated by our
brain, which can sense things like space and time that in reality don't exist!
This opens up a significant gap to a multitude of sciences such as the study of brain functions. No
known mechanism has so far been able, for example, to explain how memories are confined and
organized in our brain until we apply these concepts to the holographic theory of the Universe.
The memories would not be stored in neurons, but in the patterns of nerve impulses intersecting
throughout the brain, just like the two laser beams intersect, creating the interference pattern needed
to construct the holographic image.
In essence, what we can see is just a secondary reality which is generated by our brain, from a
holographic blur of frequencies. David Bohm continued his research, entering unexplored corners of Quantum theory and collected in a work published posthumously in 1993, called "The Undivided Universe: An Ontological Interpretation of Quantum Theory (1993)"
.
In October 2014, twenty years after his death, a team of physicists led by Daniel Grumiller at the
Vienna University of Technology, recently published the first-ever study offering concrete evidence
that the so-called holographic principle is entirely compatible with our Universe.
