Does God play dice?

Abstract

Some very persistent problems in our attempts to reconcile the theory of general relativity to quantum mechanics, lead one to suspect that the fundamental principles of both of these theories will have to be reconsidered. If there is any pre-conceived notion concerning the laws of nature, one that we can rely upon without any further questioning, it is the assumption that they are controlled by strict logic. Under all conceivable circumstances, the laws of nature should dictate how the universe evolves. Curiously, the theory of quantum mechanics has given a new twist to this adage: not the precise sequence of events can be predicted, but only statistical averages. All statistical averages can be predicted, in principle with infinite accuracy, but nothing more than that.