Govind Krishnan V | The English and Foreign Languages University (original) (raw)

Papers by Govind Krishnan V

arXiv (Cornell University), Jul 28, 2023

Arxiv,org, 2023

The field of interpretations of quantum mechanics emerged in an attempt to solve the measurement ... more The field of interpretations of quantum mechanics emerged in an attempt to solve the measurement problem. This turned on the perception that Niels Bohr avoided addressing the measurement problem by taking an instrumentalist view of quantum mechanics. I argue that this perception is mistaken and Bohr's interpretation of quantum mechanics is realist. Moreover, Bohr's interpretation, which is different from textbook quantum mechanics, (which is due more to Von Neumann and Paul Dirac), succeeds in solving the measurement problem. While the claim that Bohr 'dissolves' the measurement problem within the limits of the epistemological framework he assumes, has been made by a few authors, rarely has the case been made that Bohr's project unambiguously and completely overcomes the measurement problem. I make the strong case that Bohr eliminated the measurement problem altogether. For this, I put forward two new postulates through which to make sense of Bohr's interpretation. The article thus seeks to single out Bohr's interpretation from the various views that together go under the umbrella of orthodox quantum mechanics, and which have been traditionally considered susceptible to the measurement problem. It shows that Bohr's interpretation should be classified along with those like hidden variable theories, collapse models, modal interpretations etc., which offer a solution to the measurement problem and are committed to a realist ontology.

De Natura Fidei, 2021

In today's secular scientific age, religion and belief in the existence of God are increasingly s... more In today's secular scientific age, religion and belief in the existence of God are increasingly seen as irrational by those who recognize that rationality is normative. In several quarters it has become a truism that science has disproved the existence of entities and powers we call (misleadingly) the supernatural. The religious person is perceived as someone who is motivated only by dogmatic and blind faith. This chapter questions such common perceptions and attempts to show that they are the products of unexamined metaphysical assumptions rather than reasoned thought. It undertakes a critical examination of the relationship between rationality and religion.

Books by Govind Krishnan V

Aleph Books, 2023

The book argues that Vivekananda is the ideological nemesis of the Sangh Parivar and its ideology... more The book argues that Vivekananda is the ideological nemesis of the Sangh Parivar and its ideology of Hindutva.

arXiv (Cornell University), Jul 28, 2023

Arxiv,org, 2023

The field of interpretations of quantum mechanics emerged in an attempt to solve the measurement ... more The field of interpretations of quantum mechanics emerged in an attempt to solve the measurement problem. This turned on the perception that Niels Bohr avoided addressing the measurement problem by taking an instrumentalist view of quantum mechanics. I argue that this perception is mistaken and Bohr's interpretation of quantum mechanics is realist. Moreover, Bohr's interpretation, which is different from textbook quantum mechanics, (which is due more to Von Neumann and Paul Dirac), succeeds in solving the measurement problem. While the claim that Bohr 'dissolves' the measurement problem within the limits of the epistemological framework he assumes, has been made by a few authors, rarely has the case been made that Bohr's project unambiguously and completely overcomes the measurement problem. I make the strong case that Bohr eliminated the measurement problem altogether. For this, I put forward two new postulates through which to make sense of Bohr's interpretation. The article thus seeks to single out Bohr's interpretation from the various views that together go under the umbrella of orthodox quantum mechanics, and which have been traditionally considered susceptible to the measurement problem. It shows that Bohr's interpretation should be classified along with those like hidden variable theories, collapse models, modal interpretations etc., which offer a solution to the measurement problem and are committed to a realist ontology.

De Natura Fidei, 2021

In today's secular scientific age, religion and belief in the existence of God are increasingly s... more In today's secular scientific age, religion and belief in the existence of God are increasingly seen as irrational by those who recognize that rationality is normative. In several quarters it has become a truism that science has disproved the existence of entities and powers we call (misleadingly) the supernatural. The religious person is perceived as someone who is motivated only by dogmatic and blind faith. This chapter questions such common perceptions and attempts to show that they are the products of unexamined metaphysical assumptions rather than reasoned thought. It undertakes a critical examination of the relationship between rationality and religion.

Aleph Books, 2023

The book argues that Vivekananda is the ideological nemesis of the Sangh Parivar and its ideology... more The book argues that Vivekananda is the ideological nemesis of the Sangh Parivar and its ideology of Hindutva.