According to legend, one day physicist Richard Feynman said, "If someone claims that he understands quantum theory, he is either a liar or a lunatic"

And this situation has not changed much, even after more than 90 years since then, at least it confirms the survey physicists, published this month. At physicists still no consensus about what is meant by this theory. At the conference "Quantum mechanics and the nature of reality", which was held in Austria in the summer of 2011, each participant had to choose answers to 16 proposed questions related to the basic tenets of the theory, such as an accident of nature, the impact of external measurements in quantum systems. In the end it turned out that the views of experts disagree even on the basic principles of quantum mechanics.

"After almost 90 years after the development of theory in the scientific community has come to a consensus on the interpretation of the fundamental building blocks of theory", - said the author of the survey. "Our survey has once again reminded about the existence of such a unique situation" for Example, 64% were sure that the accident is a fundamental property of nature. And 48% believe that the properties of the object is not defined before the measurement.

For the first time the basic principles of quantum mechanics were identified in the early 20th century, is one of the best ways to describe the behavior of the smallest particles of the Universe, such as atoms. But however much is esoteric and illogical. For example, the theory assumes that the particles do not exist in a certain place at a certain time, but there is the probability of detection of specific particles at a certain time at a certain point.

According to the Copenhagen interpretation formulated by Niels Bohr, the physical universe is uncertain and probabilistic. But albert Einstein never believed in it, given his famous statement: "God does not play dice in the Universe" In the survey, 42% adhered to the Copenhagen interpretation, 24 percent of quantum information theory. 64% of respondents said that the point of view of Einstein on quantum mechanics "wrong" in Addition, respondents were asked to speak about the potential of quantum computers. 42% of the respondents considered that quantum computers will be available within 10 to 25 years, 30% predict era quantum computers in 25-50 years, and 9% think that such technologies will appear in the next 10 years, 15% said that nothing like it will be.