- Nobel Laureate Gerard ’t Hooft told Scientific American he believes quantum mechanics is fundamentally flawed and impeding scientific progress.
- ’t Hooft argues that superposition is not a real physical phenomenon and calls for a return to deterministic, classical models of particle behavior.
- He warns that reliance on quantum mechanics limits breakthroughs and urges scientists to rethink core assumptions and pursue alternative frameworks.
Gerard ’t Hooft, one of the most respected figures in theoretical physics, believes the foundation of modern quantum theory is built on a misconception — and that belief is holding back progress in science.
In a wide-ranging interview with Lee Billings, of
Scientific American, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist expressed his growing dissatisfaction with quantum mechanics, calling the standard interpretation “nonsense” and arguing that researchers must rethink their assumptions if they want to make real breakthroughs in understanding the universe.
“I think the physical world itself is a very ordinary one that is completely classical,” ’t Hooft told
Scientific American. “But in this completely classical world, there are still too many things that we don’t know today, there are ‘steps’ we’re basically missing on our path to deeper understanding.”
Superposition is Nonsense
Known for his foundational work in gauge theories and the Standard Model of particle physics, ’t Hooft has long challenged conventional thinking. But his latest critique strikes at the core of how physicists have described the quantum world for nearly a century. Superposition — the idea that particles exist in multiple states at once until measured — is, in his view, not a physical truth but a mathematical convenience.
“And I’d argue that superpositions of states are not real,” he said. “If you look very carefully, things never superimpose. [Erwin] Schrödinger asked the right questions here: You know, take my cat, it can be dead; it can be alive. Can it be in a superposition? That’s nonsense!”
His view puts him at odds with much of the quantum science establishment, including the booming field of quantum information and computing. While many researchers believe superposition and entanglement are essential to quantum speedup and encryption, ’t Hooft suggests these effects are misunderstood and that progress will come not from refining quantum mechanics, but from replacing it.
“What I’m saying is: we must unwind quantum mechanics, so to speak, as to see what happens underneath. And until the quantum technologists start doing that, I believe they won’t make really big progress.,” ’t Hooft said.
The implications are especially relevant for quantum computing, he added....
Fundamental Models
... ’t Hooft has spent recent years exploring more fundamental models of physical behavior — ones rooted in determinism rather than probabilities.
... But the physics community has been largely unmoved.
