Module 1 | A Beginner’s Guide to Quantum Mechanics

Introduction

Quantum mechanics (or Quantum Physics – the two terms are used interchangeably) is the most accurate and advanced physical theory for describing how matter and energy behave at microscopic levels. In this first module, we will give you a comprehensive introduction into this profound and sometimes paradoxical theory of reality.

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 of this module gives an overview of some of the key concepts of quantum physics, including the uncertainty principle, wave-particle duality, and non-locality. It also looks at how quantum mechanics differs from classical physics – which describes the macroscopic world of our everyday experience – and the paradoxical way that the quantum and classical realms relate to each other.

Lesson 2

Lesson 2 discusses some of the interpretations that scientists have developed to try to understand and make sense of what is going on in the quantum world. While the mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics are strongly supported by experiments and universally accepted by physicists, there are a number of different ways of interpreting these equations and the entities they describe. The vast number of different interpretations indicates how difficult it is to understand the role of consciousness in shaping the behaviour of the physical world.