Quantum Reality: Exploring the Cutting Edge

By Rod Dreher – Director of Publications, John Templeton Foundation

Photo: Julia Vitullo-Martin

Rev. Dr. John Polkinghorne

For centuries, Western science and philosophy has been built on the bedrock understanding that there is a clear difference between the material and the immaterial—or, in theological terms, between the natural and the supernatural. What if new scientific findings hinted that the distinction might present an inaccurate view of reality? Observations like that, if proven, would cause a revolution in thought.

That tantalizing philosophical possibility was one of the reasons behind Quantum Physics and the Nature of Reality, a scientific conference sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation, and held at St. Anne’s College, Oxford University, from September 26-29. The goal: to identify and explore a cutting-edge series of quantum-based questions about the nature of reality.

The conference attracted 83 of the world’s most celebrated philosophers, theoreticians, and experimental scientists, including quantum physicists Tony Leggett and Anton Zeilinger, mathematical physicist Roger Penrose, and Royal Society president and astronomer Martin Rees. The star-studded event, described by one observer as “the best minds asking the biggest questions,” was held in honor of the 80th birthday of John Polkinghorne, the eminent Cambridge physicist and 2002 Templeton Prize winner. In an opening address to the scholarly gathering, Polkinghorne claimed that quantum physics, which challenges our commonsense notions of reality, has the potential to lead a scientific revolution more radical and consequential than that brought about by Einstein and relativity.

“The discussions were notable for the respect shown for the way that the different disciplines could contribute to each other,” said Andrew Briggs, an Oxford physicist and conference co-chairman. “Dr. Polkinghorne more than once remarked on the impressive involvement of experimentalists. It does indeed seem that conditions are excellent for further experimental progress in elucidating the nature of quantum reality.”

What does it mean to speak of “quantum reality,” as distinct from ordinary reality? Classical physics operates according to laws, which dependably explain how reality, as we experience it, works. But at the quantum (atomic and subatomic) level, these laws break down, resulting in bizarre phenomena that scientists are only beginning to understand. Quantum entanglement, for example, occurs when two distinct particles are observed “affecting” each other from far away, apparently instantaneously. A befuddled Einstein called this “spooky action at a distance.”

Results from nearly a century of quantum experiments profoundly challenge our commonsensical notions of reality, and in turn, pose dramatic philosophical questions about the fabric of space and time, even the nature of truth. Quantum theory is currently enjoying a season of fertile growth, particularly in the new field of quantum information, which explores the concept that information, not spacetime, may be the basis for reality.

If proven true, quantum information theory would dramatically blur, if not collapse, the distinction between immaterial “ideas” and material reality. As physicist Hyung Choi, who directs the Foundation’s programs in mathematical and physical sciences, explains, “Quantum mechanics seems to be telling us that information may not be just a representation of reality, but may be, in some sense, reality itself. If this turns out to be the case, this could have a very significant impact on our philosophical framework. It would somehow bring together a sense of unity in our understanding of reality.”

Choi points out that Sir John Templeton was so passionate about the connection between visible and invisible reality that he devoted an entire chapter in his book Possibilities for One Hundredfold More Spiritual Information to the topic.

“Quantum physics deals with the boundary between the seen and the unseen,” says Choi. “Bernard d’Espagnat won the Templeton Prize for making a conceptual advance, through quantum physics, [indicating] that the material world is a ‘veiled reality,’ a window into the unseen. That’s what Sir John cared about. He said that the seen is the ladder to the unseen, and that in his view, there is a continuum in reality, physical and spiritual. I don’t think he ever divided them.”

The Oxford conferees made connections through which they would advance research into quantum reality, and articulated a series of challenges—the “Oxford Questions”—mapping out the frontiers of future expeditions into the borderlands between the visible and the invisible.

“These questions may not be settled in a short period of time,” says Choi, “but at least they show the possibilities of deeper ways of looking at reality, of moving forward in philosophy in a different framework.”

Varieties of Global Youth Relgious Experience

Will religion survive in the younger generations—and if so, in what forms? According to a new survey of global social science research collected by the non-profit organization Child Trends, the level of religious devotion among the young depends on where one lives and how economically developed the economy there is. Among the findings collected by Child Trends:

A young person who lives in a country where a particular religion—Islam or Catholicism, for example—has historically dominated is more likely to be religious;
The wealthier a country is, the less likely its young people are to be religious;
Large numbers of young people report a belief in God, but that does not correspond to religious practice;
Young Europeans are the world’s least religious population in their age demographic, but still report high levels of spirituality;
American youth are unique in the developed world in their relatively high degree of religious engagement, but their engagement wanes as they move past adolescence; even so, U.S. college students report a substantial degree of openness to faith.

The publication of the Child Trends report tracking patterns of spiritual development was underwritten by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, which is keen to discover and encourage attitudes and practices that contribute to human flourishing.

“Religion and spirituality can be important contributors to human flourishing,” says Kimon Sargeant, the Foundation’s vice president for human sciences. “But a lot of the research, especially federally-funded research, is to designed to study social problems, not developmental assets. There has been much less interest in tracking positive social trends. As a highly respected and influential organization, Child Trends can draw the attention of policymakers towards hopeful patterns of belief and behavior, and even solutions to social problems.”

Telling Philanthropy's Story

Americans are a generous people, even when times are hard. According to statistics compiled by the Giving USA Foundation, Americans in 2009 gave $308 billion in charitable contributions, despite the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. At the October annual meeting of The Philanthropy Roundtable, a national association of individual donors, corporate giving officers, and foundation trustees and staff, the organization launched its national Voices for Philanthropy campaign. The goal? To make the public aware of the great things done by American philanthropy, and, in turn, to build support for protecting philanthropy’s freedom to do good.

Voices for Philanthropy, whose website will launch in early November, is based on three core principles: that philanthropy builds a stronger nation; that charitable giving is a unique personal choice; and that philanthropists, no matter how much or how little they are able to give, have a voice that can change the world for the better. The idea for the V4P campaign came from Dr. Jack Templeton, president of the John Templeton Foundation, which exists to carry out the philanthropic vision of the late Sir John Templeton.

“Voices for Philanthropy isn’t just about engaging philanthropists and foundation leaders, but about engaging our allies from across society in telling the story of American philanthropy,” said Adam Meyerson, president of the Philanthropy Roundtable. “We are grateful to Jack Templeton and the John Templeton Foundation for their vision and commitment in providing seed funding for Voices for Philanthropy.”