Institute of Art and Ideas(@IAI_TV):Quantum mechanics works perfectly in experiments, but Oxford physicist Tim Palmer argues it rests on a mathematical fiction: irrational numbers like √2 have no basis in physical reality. Strip them out, and quantum's strangest mysteries disappear. Palmer's theory makes a testable prediction: quantum computers will fail beyond 400 qubits, hitting a fundamental limit set by the discrete structure of nature itself. The coming quantum computing race will determine whether our most successful physical theory contains a basic mistake. Read the full article.

2026.08.28 17:30

Quantum mechanics works perfectly in experiments, but Oxford physicist Tim Palmer argues it rests on a mathematical fiction: irrational numbers like √2 have no basis in physical reality. Strip them out, and quantum's strangest mysteries disappear. Palmer's theory makes a testable prediction: quantum computers will fail beyond 400 qubits, hitting a fundamental limit set by the discrete structure of nature itself. The coming quantum computing race will determine whether our most successful physical theory contains a basic mistake. Read the full article.