Quantum Mechanics - Pilot Waves

[davidMC1982]

I've often thought that the standard model for quantum mechanics is a bit of a fudge. A remarkably accurate fudge, but a fudge nonetheless. All of physics up until quantum mechanics is intuitive and, after discovery, somehow obvious. Quantum mechanics, on the other hand, is anything but intuitive. To me, much like the geocentric model of the universe, this suggests a faulty abstraction based on incorrect premises. Whilst one cannot deny the accuracy and success of the standard model, one still wonders whether we've gone a long way down the wrong road.

An article on Wired today highlights a somewhat limited revival of the pilot-wave theory originally proposed by Louis de Broglie. To my mind, it provides a more satisfactory explanation of quantum mechanics (not that that counts for anything). What do you guys think?

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/the-new-quantum-reality

[Mister Agenda]

I like it too, but am unqualified to evaluate the probability that it is correct (or a better approximation thereof than standard QM).

[Angrboda]

All models have problems, and all sound good when you only highlight the good points.

I've slowly been moving towards the many worlds interpretation, but I don't know enough to really pick any.

[JuliaL]

The universe owes us no obligation to be comprehensible mathematically or otherwise. Sure is useful when it is. But I expect there are directions we'll never be able to look and some where we get hints of existence, but cannot make definite, unambiguous declarations of their truths, e.g. gravity is weak because it is leaking into 3 space from another dimension. Yeah? Prove it.

[davidMC1982]

The universe owes us no obligation to be comprehensible mathematically or otherwise. Sure is useful when it is. But I expect there are directions we'll never be able to look and some where we get hints of existence, but cannot make definite, unambiguous declarations of their truths, e.g. gravity is weak because it is leaking into 3 space from another dimension. Yeah? Prove it.

Of course it owes us no obligation. However, the assumptions that form the basis for the bleeding edge of physics are based almost entirely on the mathematics arising from quantum mechanics. If pilot-waves could be used to accurately describe all the same phenomena as the standard model the bleeding edge could look very different. We may find we weren't even asking the right questions.