Differences Between Bohmian Mechanics and Quantum Mechanics
Despite Bohmian mechanics having been around for at least a century, it’s a viewpoint that’s often overlooked. However, it’s an alternative theory to that of quantum mechanics and is still championed by many physicists.
Despite Bohmian mechanics having been around for at least a century, it’s a viewpoint that’s often overlooked. However, it’s an alternative theory to that of quantum mechanics and is still championed by many physicists. It’s also known as pilot-wave theory and is based on the idea that particles are always particles and waves are always waves, unlike the idea behind quantum mechanics that a particle could be both a particle and wave at the same time.
The best way to understand the differences between Bohmian mechanics and quantum mechanics is to consider the double-slit experiment. This involved sending a beam of electrons at the parallel slits in a piece of sheet metal that was placed in front of a detector. By measuring the electrons that went through which slits you get two bright spots (one in front of each slit) where the electrons appear to be behaving like particles. However, if you don’t observe any electrons, the detector reveals a pattern of light and dark bands, where the electrons behave like waves.
Someone who supports the theory of quantum mechanics would say this is easily explained as electrons don’t have definite positions and that they can be both a particle and wave until they’re observed. However, once they’ve been observed, each one chooses a position and displays behavior more like an individual particle. Someone who supports the theory of Bohmian mechanics believes that electrons do have a definite position but are pushed around on a “pilot wave”, and it’s this what changes the behavior of the electron. When unobserved, the electrons are taken along all possible paths to create a wave-like pattern, but as soon as they become observed that wave breaks and the true location of each electron is revealed.
You can see the attraction of the Bohmian mechanic’s theory as it’s pretty straightforward in comparison to quantum mechanics. The problem is that it doesn’t account for Einstein’s theory of relativity. So still, the big debate will continue with physicists generally choosing one side or the other to sit on, and may be an argument that never gets solved.
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Helena Marsh
Helena Marsh is the Editor-in-Chief at TrendinTech, where she leads editorial strategy and oversees coverage across artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise technology. With more than a decade in technology journalism on both sides of the Atlantic, she previously served as a senior editor at Wired UK and covered the technology sector for The Guardian, following the rise of the big platforms, the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the regulatory push from Brussels and Washington. Helena holds an MA in Journalism from City, University of London and is a regular speaker at Web Summit in Lisbon and CES in Las Vegas. She believes technology reporting should be rigorous and plainly written, so readers understand what actually changes for them rather than what a company's announcement promises.
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