Yakir Aharonov: The Future Propagates Backward in Quantum Theory

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

Curt Jaimungal

Physics, Philosophy, Society & Culture, Science

4.6 • 606 Ratings

🗓️ 13 October 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

I personally subscribe to The Economist. TOE listeners get 35% off the annual subscription. No other podcast has this! https://economist.com/TOE Yakir Aharonov argues quantum reality requires future states to propagate backward in time.Physicist Yakir Aharonov argues that the standard story of quantum mechanics is wrong, proposing a time-symmetric “two-state vector” view in which reality is defined by wavefunctions from both past and future. He explains weak measurements (information without collapse), nonlocal dynamics behind interference, and phenomena like the “quantum Cheshire Cat.” Aharonov recounts the birth of the Aharonov–Bohm effect, why gauge potentials mislead about locality, and how pre and post-selection restore causal insight without determinism. He shares memories of Bohm, Heisenberg, and Feynman, touches on gravitational and non-Abelian AB analogs, and lays out why a clear narrative—not just math—is essential to understanding quantum theory. Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Links mentioned: - Yakir’s Papers: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1023512 - Jenann Ismael [TOE]: https://youtu.be/7kvXihDAOi0 - Roger Penrose [TOE]: https://youtu.be/sGm505TFMbU - Shift Of An Electron Interference Pattern By Enclosed Magnetic Flux [Paper]: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.5.3 SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs Guests do not pay to appear. Theories of Everything receives revenue solely from viewer donations, platform ads, and clearly labelled sponsors; no guest or associated entity has ever given compensation, directly or through intermediaries. #science Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Vanta.
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0:30.0	How could we have been so home for so long about phantom mechanics?
0:35.4	All the things that we are totalized quantum mechanics is wrong.
0:41.7	Standard quantum theory describes a wave function that evolves forward from an initial measurement.
0:48.4	Professor Yakir Karanov says this is wrong. Aharanov, the co-discoverer of the Aharnov-Bome effect and a pioneer of weak
0:57.0	measurement theory, has spent 65 years revolutionizing quantum foundations, and this is his first
1:04.4	and only time he's given a podcast. To him, quantum reality requires two wave functions, one propagating forward from the past and another propagating backward from the future.
1:17.5	This is ABL theory, also known as the two-state vector formalism.
1:21.9	It explains weak measurements, which are observations that are so gentle to extract information without ever collapsing the wave function.
1:30.0	And that's why Yakir thinks it's absurd to think that the quantum system ever collapses.
1:34.7	Aharanov then discovered phenomena such as quantum sheshire cat,
1:38.1	where a neutron's spin physically separates from the neutron itself and travels independently.
	...

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