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Is This What Quantum Mechanics Looks Like?

Veritasium4 HN recommenders · 2016–2025
6.2M views · explainer · evergreen · Uploaded 2016-11-02

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.

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

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8 comments from Hacker News

@lisivka2016 · in “Close to absolute zero, particles exhibit their quantum nature”

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

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@joantune2016 · in “First real evidence of a strange quantum distortion in empty space”

"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 [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

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@contravariant2016 · in “First real evidence of a strange quantum distortion in empty space”

>So, does this mean that this explanation for Quantum mechanics [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.

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@DiThi2016 · in “The “dead and alive” cat myth”

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 [VIDEO]

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@goatlover2017 · in “The Trouble with Quantum Mechanics”

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. [VIDEO]

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@rimher2018 · in “David Bohm, Quantum Mechanics and Enlightenment”

Great video that showcases the Pilot Wave idea: [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

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@garfieldnate2018 · in “Interpretations of quantum mechanics”

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. [VIDEO]

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@rhdunn2025 · in “New magnetic component discovered in the Faraday effect”

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

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