Word from the Chair: making connections
Recently, I was reading a review of the state of the art in quantum physics - as you do. Since I do not know anything about the topic apart from the relevance of Einstein’s E=MC2 (please do not ask me to elaborate), I thought a short review might bring me up to speed.
Quantum theory is, without a doubt, the most powerful theory we have as humankind to explain the material world around us. Much to the envy of those of us working in the humanities, quantum theory can explain how the sun, the sky and outer space works. Moreover, the theory has led, among others, to the development of computing, lasers and medical progress.
What quantum theory, however, cannot explain apparently is the causal process; while we know that if you influence a particle or element it will end up with a particular result. How this happens remains unclear. In a new development, called the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics, scientists have started to reconsider; particles will behave in a certain way because of their interrelationship. Instead of a focus on what ‘is’ or ‘is not’ as the mainstay of this field – think about the basics of computer code consisting of zeros and ones-, physics now looks at interrelationships and how different elements affect each other. Reality becomes a process rather than something static.
When I finished reading the review, I thought these scientists should have paid us a visit. The study of the international and the regions is in essence the story of human interaction at different levels and scales throughout time. Our basic concepts, such as communication, identity, community, social order, religion, and power are at all at their very core relational. They only have meaning in an interactive fashion. This is not to suggest that everything we do revolves around communication or power, or that history explains everything. It does suggest that interaction is a key feature of practically everything that happens in the world. If only the physicists had asked us.
Connections are what makes the world go round, human connections, academic and scientific connections. Let me wish you, -all our 600 new students, our new and old colleagues, as well as our 300 graduates-, a very productive new academic year, filled with exciting, new and fruitful connections and lots of meaningful connectivity.
PS. If you are interested, the review was of Carlo Rovelli’s Helgoland; Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution (London: Allen Lane 2022).