Did Quantum Physics Lead to Postmodernism?
Few concepts of quantum physics have taken hold in the popular imagination, but one of them is this: perception matters. According to a widespread interpretation of a 1935 thought experiment, the act of observing something actually affects what you see. (This is obviously a simplification. For a far more thorough explanation, read up on the debate surrounding Schroedinger's Cat.) This idea is similar to a central concept of postmodernism--that "objectivity" is deceptive, and truth is often a matter of perception. Are the ideas connected?
Appropriately enough, it depends whom you ask. ArtsJournal asked the tantalizing, long-debated question after reading this passage from a Salon review:
Is quantum physics in fact "responsible for postmodernism?"