270 - Tim Maudlin & Jacob Barandes: The Indivisible Approach to Quantum Theory

Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at NYU and Founder and Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. Jacob Barandes is Senior Preceptor in Physics at Harvard University, where he works widely across the philosophy of physics, with focuses on the foundations of quantum mechanics, the philosophy of spacetime, and the metaphysics of laws. In this episode, Robinson, Tim, and Jacob discuss Jacob’s novel approach to quantum mechanics, which he calls the “Indivisible Approach”. More particularly, they discuss the problems at the core of quantum mechanics, the ontology of the theory, causality and quantum phenomena, probability, and more. If you’re interested in the foundations of physics, then please check out the JBI, which is devoted to providing a home for research and education in this important area. Any donations are immensely helpful at this early stage in the institute’s life. Tim’s Website: www.tim-maudlin.site The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org Jacob’s Website: https://www.jacobbarandes.com The Stochastic-Quantum Correspondence: https://philosophyofphysics.lse.ac.uk/articles/10.31389/pop.186 Historical Debates over the Physical Reality of the Wave Function: https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.09397 Pilot-Wave Theories as Hidden Markov Models: https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.10569 OUTLINE 00:21 The Problems at the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics 13:00 More on the Problems 26:09 Is the Wave Function a Real Thing? 32:48 Causation, Correlation, and Quantum Mechanics 42:03 Terminological Issues 44:34 Causal Models and the Markov Condition 01:00:57 Can Time Exist Without Change? 01:15:00 On Time and Change 01:30:38 Newtonian Mechanics and the Markov Condition 1:45:00 More on Newtonian Mechanics 2:00:00 More on the Markov Condition 02:17:49 Tim’s Response 02:28:18 Philosophy and Physics 02:32:38 More on Probability 02:42:13 Probability and the Double Slit Experiment  02:59:42 Why Tim Remains Puzzled Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.