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Is This What Quantum Mechanics Looks Like?

Is This What Quantum Mechanics Looks Like? on HackerTube: recommended by 4 Hacker News commenters across 4 separate months, 2016–2025.

Veritasium

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Veritasium shows silicone oil droplets bouncing on a vibrating bath, a physical analogue of pilot wave theory that reproduces quantum-like behavior such as double-slit patterns.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN recommends it as a short, intuitive introduction to the pilot wave (de Broglie-Bohm) interpretation of quantum mechanics.

people recommended it
4
separate months
4
strong recommendations
0
discussed on HN
2016–2025
“an excellent pilot wave (de Broglie-Bohm) theory video by Veritasium[1]”
— garfieldnate, Oct 2018, in “Interpretations of quantum mechanics”

What HN commenters said

8 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.

garfieldnateOct 2018Recommends

I found this while following up on an excellent pilot wave (de Broglie-Bohm) theory video by Veritasium[1]. I never knew there were so many interpretations! 1. ▶ this video

in “Interpretations of quantum mechanics” · View on HN

rimherJul 2018Recommends

Great video that showcases the Pilot Wave idea: ▶ this video I really do hope that we can find a way to make sense of everything in Physics, but Bohm's description of the infinite in the article is rather fascinating. Maybe there's no way out after all

in “David Bohm, Quantum Mechanics and Enlightenment” · View on HN

DiThiDec 2016Recommends

A bit unrelated, but there's a possibility that quantum mechanics are not exactly probabilistic and that they're actually deterministic, while still being compatible with observed quantum phenomena. This video explains it well ▶ this video

in “The “dead and alive” cat myth” · View on HN

lisivkaNov 2016Recommends

I highly recommend to watch this video first: [link] , to get the idea. Then this: ▶ this video , for explanation. No need to read long books.

in “Close to absolute zero, particles exhibit their quantum nature” · View on HN

rhdunnNov 2025Cites it

Veritasium did a video on this [1] with a surface of oil to replicate the effect on a petri dish. [1] ▶ this video

in “New magnetic component discovered in the Faraday effect” · View on HN

goatloverJan 2017Cites it

There is the silicone oil droplet phenomena which is a classical version of the pilot wave, and it does reproduce some quantum behavior, including the double slit. That a pilot wave has been discovered (granted at macro scale) does make one reconsider. ▶ this video

in “The Trouble with Quantum Mechanics” · View on HN

Show 2 more comments
joantuneDec 2016Cites it

"In the classical physics of Newton and Einstein, the vacuum of space is entirely empty, but the theory of quantum mechanics assumes something very different. According to quantum electrodynamics (QED) - a quantum theory that describes how light and matter interact - it’s predicted that space is actually full of 'virtual particles' that pop in and out of existence and mess with the activity of light particles (photons) as they zip around the Universe." So, does this mean that this explanation for Quantum mechanics ▶ this video has been vindicated? i.e. the double slit with the fields being the cause of the oddity instead of... something that is hard to explain.. including the observer effect

in “First real evidence of a strange quantum distortion in empty space” · View on HN

contravariantDec 2016Cites it

>So, does this mean that this explanation for Quantum mechanics ▶ this video has been vindicated? If anything the virtual particles are an alternative to the pilot wave theory. Instead of having quantum effects mediated by virtual particles the pilot wave theory uses a 'pilot wave'. Now as far as I know most phenomena caused by virtual particles can be explained by the pilot wave, but I'm not sure how easily. Either way, results like these which seem to be in favour of the existence of virtual particles are weak evidence against the pilot wave theory.

in “First real evidence of a strange quantum distortion in empty space” · View on HN

Topics & tags

Quantum physicsEveryday physics & science demospilot wavequantum mechanicsdouble slitde broglie-bohmveritasium