Explainer on quantum physics confusion
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The gist
Physicist Douglas Ross wrote a multi-part explainer titled "I Don't Understand Quantum Physics."
Online threads trace the confusion to the word "quantum" and how energy is taught.
Background
Douglas Ross is the author of "I Don't Understand Quantum Physics," a multi-part explainer covering classical physics, wave-particle duality, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, wavefunctions, superposition and interpretations of quantum physics. The topic is circulating because several online posts describe confusion around quantum ideas: a Reddit thread questions the word "quantum" itself, and a Facebook group post asks why the wavefunction collapses. One publication, "Quantum Physics and the Mind," defines quantum physics, also called quantum mechanics, as the branch of physics dealing with matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic levels.
How it unfolded
- recentlyDouglas Ross's multi-part explainer "I Don't Understand Quantum Physics" covers topics from wave-particle duality to whether quantum physics is correct and complete.
- recentlyA Reddit thread in r/confusedbythissmug discusses confusion over the word "quantum" and concepts in quantum physics.
- recentlyA Facebook group post asks why the wavefunction collapses, saying phrases like "energy is lost" or "produced" hide the idea of conservation and transfer.
- Oct 20, 2026A publication titled "Quantum Physics and the Mind" describes quantum physics as the branch of physics dealing with matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic levels.
Who’s saying what
- Public
- A Reddit thread in r/confusedbythissmug discusses confusion over the word "quantum" and the concepts discovered in quantum physics.
- Caution
- A Facebook group post argues that teaching energy as a substance, with phrases like "energy is lost" or "produced," hides conservation and transfer and creates confusion for years.
Still unverified
A Facebook post by QuantumCookie says rumors claim a physicist vanished mid-experiment on quantum superposition; the post states no confirmation is given.