**4. Quantum physics research**

We are living in an era that could be called The Quantum Age [53]. The technological advancements of the past century have been made possible by a theory of physics called quantum mechanics. Nuclear power, computers, PET scans, and artificial intelligence represent only a few of the remarkable outcomes of this so-called "new physics." Quantum mechanics, or quantum physics as it is commonly called, is the science of the microscopic realm. Classical, or Newtonian physics, is the science of the observable world of three-dimensional matter. Not only is the scale of investigation different, but the theories that govern the world of matter are directly opposed to the laws that govern subatomic behavior [54].

For example, Newton's first law of motion purports that if an object is moving in a straight line, it will continue moving in a straight line forever, unless it is acted upon by an outside force. This law, a fundamental principle in classical physics, works flawlessly in the macro world. It has led to a belief that the physical world is stable and predictable. Quantum physics, however, proves this to be an incorrect assumption. At the subatomic level, particles do not behave in a predictable manner. They make unexpected and unexplainable quantum leaps which defy rational analysis [55]. At the subatomic level, the parts do not determine the behavior of the whole; rather, the whole determines the behavior of the parts. Subatomic particles can also interact across great distances of time and space, a concept referred to as nonlocal causation which means the interactions between the whole and the parts can never be precisely known [56]. Therefore, classical analytical processes are inadequate for explaining the behavior of subatomic particles.

The theory of quantum mechanics also violates Newton's second law of motion. This law, which states that every action is accompanied by an equal and opposite reaction, is used to predict the behavior of objects in the macro world. At the subatomic level, particle behavior is impossible to predict due to nonlocal interactions [54]. In quantum physics, statistical probability replaces Newtonian predictability [57].

Newtonian physics assumes the physical world is objective. At the macro level of classical physics, observation does not change the nature of what is being observed. This is not the case at the subatomic level where human observation influences subatomic particle behavior. For example, the expectations of the scientist appear to influence how subatomic particles behave [58]. At the subatomic level, Newtonian objectivity is replaced by quantum subjectivity. Subatomic interactions are not only unexplainable and unpredictable, but they are also, in some yet unidentifiable way, affected by the intentions of their observers [59].

It is apparent that the basic principles of quantum mechanics violate the laws of classical Newtonian physics. Newton's laws, however, still apply in the observable realm of everyday experience where quantum effects are suppressed, or, at least, camouflaged, by the Principle of Correspondence [57]. This principle, based on a mathematical formula called Planck's constant, shows that there is a strong relationship between an object's size and its susceptibility to quantum uncertainty. Consequently, until recently, scientists have been hesitant to apply quantum concepts to human behavior. Opinions are, however, shifting. Recent brain research suggests that we

are, indeed, quantum beings [60, 61]. Humans, like everything else in the universe, are composed of subatomic particles that originated from one common particle pool. Even though humans are material beings, subject to Newton's classical laws, they also have an invisible, nonmaterial dimension (the mind or consciousness) that may function according to quantum principles [59, 62].
