Editor’s note: From quantum physics to quantum computers, “quantum” is a hot topic in science fiction as well as in lad research with companies such as IBM pushing the development of a new era in computing power. But where do we really stand in quantum research? WRAL TechWire’s Allan Maurer takes a look in the fourth part of our Human Future series.

DURHAM – Is science fiction a way to approach examining problems such as quantum mechanics, behavior modifying brain implants, and other topics in physics and science? It certainly generated many audience questions at a Moogfest Transhuman session at the American Underground@Main in Durham, Sunday.

Duke literature professor Katherine Hayles and physics professor Mark Kruse, designed a course on science fiction vs. science fact that explores different ways of understanding quantum physics. The course, started three years ago, limits participation to a handful of students and has a huge waiting list.

Kruse gave a brief overview of quantum physics, which essentially pointed out what physicist Richard Feynman, who made a major advance in quantum calculations, said: “If you think you understand quantum physics, you don’t understand quantum physics.” So I’m under no illusions that I can do it in a short article.

[VIDEO: Watch an IBM video about quantum computing at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHA2lTBPEBo ]

Certain aspects of quantum physics – the way entangled electrons can instantly react identically across great distances with no apparent communication struck him as “spooky action at a distance.” He also disliked its apparently random nature (the uncertainty principle: the more you know about where a particle is, the less you know about how fast it is going and in what direction) saying, “God does not play dice with the universe.”

Physicist Niels Bohr responded, “Einstein, don’t tell God what to do.”

Nevertheless, our understanding of quantum physics – such as it is – has been wildly successful in predicting quantum outcomes and developing technologies. Quantum computers may be on the horizon, although they do face difficult technical problems.

Many worlds interpretation

Kruse did note the primary scientific interpretations of quantum phenomena, which involves how an event goes from being a probability to a reality. One is called “the Copenhagen intrerpretation” and was devised by Bohr.

Wikipedia explains that this way: physical systems generally do not have definite properties prior to being measured, and quantum mechanics can only predict the probabilities that measurements will produce certain results. The act of measurement affects the system, causing the set of probabilities to reduce to only one of the possible values immediately after the measurement. This feature is known as wave function collapse.

The major alternative theory is the “Many worlds interpretation,” which suggests all possible alternative histories and futures are real, suggesting an infinite number of universes exist.

The Moogfest session and the course focus on a novel by Australian science fiction author Greg Egan, a Hugo-award winner who is trained in mathematics. His novel “Quarantine.” published in 1992, serves to generate discussions about what he got right and what he got wrong as well as many digressions.

Egan is known as a “hard science fiction writer,” meaning he speculates about real science, not the fantasy that so often gets labeled scifi these days. In the novel, Egan suggests that human brains collapse quantum wave functions. The plot elements of the novel also focus on a brain implant technology capable of altering feelings and behavior.

Novel inspires thought

The lead character, for instance, loses his wife to a terrorist attack and has a brain implant placed that prevents him from feeling grief. Later, bad guys in the novel implant him with a device that forces him to be loyal to them.

His ideas about quantum mechanics in the novel were chosen for story purposes and in a long essay online, Egan explains he never thought his idea that human minds are what cause quantum wave functions to collapse is real. In a long online essay, Egan says he doesn’t for a minute believe the quantum physics aspects of his novel are a real explanation. Egan essay

The discussion, which proceeded from a brief outline of the plot of Egan’s novel to audience questions, generated a lot of discussion that ranged from the possibility of quantum computing (which Egan didn’t consider) to what happens if a brain implant takes away your free will.

Kruse said that not only did the course inspire such thinking, it was a good way to look at what is right and what isn’t about a scifi take on a scientific theory.