Stenger: Quantum Gods

__NOTOC__ {{BNR-table|scienticity=5|readability=5|hermeneutics=5|charisma=5|recommendation=5}}

__NOTOC__ {{BNR-table|scienticity=5|readability=5|hermeneutics=5|charisma=5|recommendation=5}}

There’s something about modern physics, especially quantum mechanics, which attracts magical thinking. Perhaps this isn’t surprising. Someone once said that because quantum mechanics is so counter-intuitive, because no one really understands it, it’s easy to fall into the trap of using it to "explain" anything else we don’t understand. Consciousness is a prime example.

There’s something about modern physics, especially quantum mechanics, which attracts magical thinking. Perhaps this isn’t surprising. Someone once said that because quantum mechanics is so counter-intuitive, because no one really understands it, it’s easy to fall into the trap of using it to "explain" anything else we don’t understand. Consciousness is a prime example.

Victor Stenger’s book ''Quantum Gods: Creation, Chaos, and the Search for Cosmic Consciousness'', aims to show how this use of quantum mechanics is wrong. He describes how "spiritually"-inclined scientists, "new-agers" and other "spiritual" merchants, and modern theologians use quantum mechanics. All these groups have the same aim – to provide some sense of scientific credibility to their beliefs and claims. They are using science opportunistically and Stenger provides an important service exposing this in his new book.

Victor Stenger’s book ''Quantum Gods: Creation, Chaos, and the Search for Cosmic Consciousness'', aims to show how this use of quantum mechanics is wrong. He describes how "spiritually"-inclined scientists, "new-agers" and other "spiritual" merchants, and modern theologians use quantum mechanics. All these groups have the same aim – to provide some sense of scientific credibility to their beliefs and claims. They are using science opportunistically and Stenger provides an important service exposing this in his new book.

Stenger coins the terms ''quantum spirituality'' and ''quantum theology'' to describe the two opportunist uses of modern quantum physics. Michael Shermer in his foreword to this book uses the term ''quantum flapdoodle'' – originally used by Murray Gell-Mann to describe the misuse and abuse of quantum physics. Both Shermer and Stenger refer to the film "What the Bleep Do We Know?" – a successful documentary film which indulged in this ''flapdoodle''.

Stenger coins the terms ''quantum spirituality'' and ''quantum theology'' to describe the two opportunist uses of modern quantum physics. Michael Shermer in his foreword to this book uses the term ''quantum flapdoodle'' – originally used by Murray Gell-Mann to describe the misuse and abuse of quantum physics. Both Shermer and Stenger refer to the film "What the Bleep Do We Know?" – a successful documentary film which indulged in this ''flapdoodle''.