David Peat

24 From Certainty to Uncertaintyconfusion and paradox. In the end, it is better to remain silent than tocreate endless philosophical confusion; maybe this is why the discussionsbetween Bohr and Einstein were doomed to end in silence. Whathad begun as a discussion of chance and uncertainty developed into aradical transformation of our ideas about the very nature of reality.The deep bond of affection between Einstein and Bohr was insufficientto overcome the growing split in their respective approaches tophysics.The Disappearance of Ultimate RealityQuantum theory introduced uncertainty into physics; not an uncertaintythat arises out of mere ignorance but a fundamental uncertaintyabout the very universe itself. Uncertainty is the price we pay for becomingparticipators in the universe. Ultimate knowledge may only bepossible for ethereal beings who lie outside the universe and observe itfrom their ivory towers. But as incarnate beings, we live within theheart of the material world. We are all participators in the world, andthe entrance fee we pay is living with a measure of uncertainty.Uncertainty also exists in another and even more disturbing way,as an uncertainty about the very goal of science and philosophy. Fromthe time of the Greeks, human beings have asked what the world ismade of. They attempted to reach, through speculation and experiment,an ultimate ground or ultimate idea upon which all of reality isfounded. Twentieth century scientists approached this idea of an ultimateground by breaking matter into smaller and smaller bits andthereby discovered molecules, atoms, elementary particles, and, alongwith them, quantum theory.But then Niels Bohr challenged the ability of science and the humanmind to proceed further. He almost seemed to be suggesting thatscience as we knew it had finally reached a limit and could go no furtheras a means of enquiry into the nature of reality. 77As a young man, David Bohm debated this issue of reality with Einstein in aseries of letters. Einstein firmly held to his belief in an independent reality that isapproachable through reason. In reply, Bohm argued that perhaps below our presentlevel of knowledge there lie other levels, as yet unexpected and unexplored.