QUANTUM DRAMA

The definitive account of the great Bohr Einstein debate and its continuing legacyIn 1927 Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein began a debate about the interpretation and meaning of the new quantum theory This would become one of the most famous debates in the history of science At stake were an understanding of the purpose and defense of the integrity of science What if any limits should we place on our expectations for what science can tell us about physical reality Our protagonists slowly disappeared from the vanguard of physics as its centre of gravity shifted from a war ravaged Continental Europe to a bold pragmatic post war America What Einstein and Bohr had considered to be matters of the utmost importance were now set aside Their debate was regarded either as settled in Bohr s favour or as superfluous to real physics But the debate was not resolved The problems of interpretation and meaning persisted at least in the minds of a few stubborn physicists such as David Bohm and John Bell who refused to stop asking awkward questions The Bohr Einstein debate was rejoined now with a new set of protagonists on a small scale at first Through their efforts the debate was revealed to be about physics after all Their questions did indeed have answers that