A Challenge to Bohmian mechanics by Sharoglazova et al, Nature, 2025

[atyy]

Energy–speed relationship of quantum particles challenges Bohmian mechanics.
Sharoglazova V, Puplauskis M, Mattschas C, Toebes C, Klaers J.
Nature 643, 67–72 (2025)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09099-4

Is this paper correct? I am skeptical because my understanding was that Bohmian mechanics gives essentially the same predictions as quantum mechanics.

 

[Demystifier]

Yesterday I have submitted a "Comment" (in Nature it is called Matters Arising) to Nature related to this paper. Today I have also submitted it to arXiv, it should appear on arXiv tomorrow or on Monday. The catch is that their equations (2)-(3) that describe their wave functions are not standard Schrodinger equations, because they describe a coupling between wave functions. Consequently, as I explain in my paper, the Bohmian velocity associated with such wave functions differs from the usual one. You will see the details when my paper appears on arXiv.

 

[Demystifier]

Here it is: https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.08049

 

[PeterDonis]

Hossenfelder has put out a video on the paper

Which should not be used as a reference in this discussion, since we already have papers on both sides of the argument. Accordingly, this post has been deleted.

 

[Morbert]

Which should not be used as a reference in this discussion, since we already have papers on both sides of the argument. Accordingly, this post has been deleted.

It was not used as a reference in this discussion. It was an aside, showing the issue had reached popularizers. Sabine's videos are regularly and consistently posted on these forums, not as an authority on the matter.

 

[PeterDonis]

It was not used as a reference in this discussion. It was an aside, showing the issue had reached popularizers.

While that's not uninteresting, it's still off topic, since it's a pop science source.

Sabine's videos are regularly and consistently posted on these forums

That's true. But...

not as an authority on the matter.

...that's not. Most people post her videos as a basis for discussion, to ask questions about whether what she's saying in the video is justified by the actual science. (And quite often the answer is no, or at least that there are serious reservations.) You've agreed you're not doing that here, which means the video is off topic.

 

[A. Neumaier]

Energy–speed relationship of quantum particles challenges Bohmian mechanics.
Sharoglazova V, Puplauskis M, Mattschas C, Toebes C, Klaers J.
Nature 643, 67–72 (2025)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09099-4

Is this paper correct? I am skeptical because my understanding was that Bohmian mechanics gives essentially the same predictions as quantum mechanics.

https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/26230/