From Celebration to Scrutiny: Ana María Cetto Calls for Deeper Rethink of Quantum Theory at APS Colloquium

The American Physical Society’s Forum on International Physics (APS FIP) recently hosted Mexican physicist Ana María Cetto for a keynote colloquium titled “The first hundred quantum years. What next?”, delivered as part of the Physics Matters webinar series marking the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Framed as a year‑end reflection, the talk connected diplomatic success at the United Nations with scientific self‑examination inside the quantum community.​​

Cetto began by recounting how the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and an international steering group worked with UNESCO and UN member states to secure the proclamation of 2025 as IYQ, ultimately endorsed by over 70 countries. She emphasized that the year has catalyzed thousands of events worldwide, from public outreach and education initiatives to new quantum centers and public–private partnerships spanning computing, sensing, photonics, nanotechnology and semiconductor research.​

Turning from diplomacy to theory, Cetto argued that quantum mechanics, while extraordinarily successful in applications, remains conceptually fragile, pointing to persistent confusion over nonlocality, wave–particle duality, and the meaning of the wavefunction. She cited recent global surveys showing that only a small fraction of physicists fully endorse the traditional Copenhagen view, and that sharp divisions persist between realist and purely epistemic readings of the formalism, even among Nobel laureates.​

In response, Cetto advocated a return to “the roots of the quantum tree” via stochastic electrodynamics (SED), a research program in which particles continuously interact with a classical zero‑point electromagnetic field whose fluctuations are characterized by Planck’s constant. In this framework, she explained, quantum phenomena such as interference, fluctuations and apparent nonlocal correlations arise as statistical responses to the omnipresent background field, with quantum mechanics reinterpreted as an effective, coarse‑grained description rather than a final, ontologically complete theory.​​

Cetto closed by urging especially younger physicists to couple technical ambition with ethical reflection, noting that a large share of modern economic activity now depends on quantum‑enabled technologies while global security remains fragile. She called for foundational research that not only clarifies the physical basis of quantum theory but also supports responsible, peaceful uses of quantum innovation, arguing that the next century of quantum science must deepen both understanding and societal responsibility.​

Source: American Physical Society, “APS FIP: The first hundred quantum years. What next? by Ana María Cetto”