What do Quantum Numbers
Feel Like?
Vlatko Vedral on the Transformative Power of Physics
"Is there a way for us to grasp this underlying reality without relying on abstractions and mathematics? Could we actually experience the world of q-numbers and quantum phenomena more directly?...What would this feel like?...Not only could our quantumly augmented perception enable all of us to have a direct understanding of the underlying physical reality and experience the emotions related to this, but it is quite possible that this newly acquired quantum intuition would in itself be of huge advantage for our survival... It would not just be an intellectual revolution due to the discovery of a new theory...It would be the ultimate transformation instigated by the new physics...Maybe, just maybe, it would allow us to build a better and more robust society than anything we’ve been able to master so far.
- Vlatko Vedral, Professor of Quantum Information Science at the University of Oxford, this is a compendium of quotes from the five excerpts below
Our world is awash with books, podcasts, and videos that explore the radical implications of quantum mechanics for how we might understand ourselves and live our lives. Some of these explorations are quite promising. Perhaps we can learn to live, as it were, quantumly. But some can be irritating to physicists who actually work in the field, as they often find the popularizations shallow, speculative, or simply mistaken. Such are the dangers of popularization.
All the more noteworthy, then, when a physicist himself notes these wider implications in a way that includes—but also moves beyond—the mathematical dimensions of quantum theory. Vlatko Vedral is one such physicist. Vedral is Professor of Quantum Information Science at the University of Oxford and author of many book, including Portals to a New Reality: Five Pathways to the Future of Physics.
After explaining many dimensions of quantum mechanics in considerable detail, he turns to its implications for human experience and for the future of our species. He proposes that it may be possible to have a direct experience of what he calls q-numbers and the quantum phenomena associated with them. I offer five excerpts to give you a sense of these speculations, followed by an introduction to three key ideas that inform his perspective: superposition, entanglement, and uncertainty. And after that, a word about quantum numbers. The explanations of superposition, entanglement, and uncertainty, and than of quantum numbers, come from OpenAI.
"Imagine perceiving q-numbers directly, feeling them."
"Is there a way for us to grasp this underlying reality without relying on abstractions and mathematics? Could we actually experience the world of q-numbers and quantum phenomena more directly? Among other things, this amazing achievement would end the need to use classical analogies in order to talk about quantum phenomena. Imagine perceiving q-numbers directly, feeling them."
— Vlatko Vedral, Portals to a New Reality: Five Pathways to the Future of Physics (New York: Basic Books, 2024), p. 256.
We would feel multiple values at once.
"C-numbers obey the rules we have all been taught in school about the real numbers. They are straightforward to add, multiply, and so on. Q-numbers, on the other hand, give us the counterintuitive properties of the quantum world. Any observable—for instance, momentum—described by a q-number does not have a single, definite value. Instead, it typically assumes multiple values at once. Nor can we simultaneously measure to perfect accuracy any pair of observables that are described by q-numbers."
— Vlatko Vedral, Portals to a New Reality: Five Pathways to the Future of Physics (New York: Basic Books, 2024), p. 12.
Our intuitions move beyond "classical" doors of perception that rely on sense-experience.
"Whether drugs open us up to a larger reality or distort our perception of actual reality has been a subject of many a debate. Be that as it may, I’d like to claim that the physics I’ve been describing in this book is a far more potent way to lead us beyond the 'classical' doors of perception. And this, I think, would be the ultimate transformation instigated by the new physics, to a view that regards the world as consisting of q-numbers."
— Vlatko Vedral, Portals to a New Reality: Five Pathways to the Future of Physics (New York: Basic Books, 2024), p. 256.
We would enjoy and be nourished by quantumly augmented perception.
"I'd like to claim that the physics I've been describing in this book is a far more potent way to lead us beyond the 'classical' doors of perception. And this, I think, would be the ultimate transformation instigated by the new physics, to a view that regards the world as consisting of q-numbers. It would not just be an intellectual revolution due to the discovery of a new theory. It would not just lead to new technologies, as we've always seen happen in the past whenever new physics was discovered. Rather, it would take us to an entirely new mode in which our species could experience reality. The first steps can already be taken within our current understanding, but what follows beyond could only make our journey even more exciting."
— Vlatko Vedral, Portals to a New Reality: Five Pathways to the Future of Physics (New York: Basic Books, 2024), pp. 256–257.
It might allow us to build a better and robust society, instigated by the new physics.
"What would this feel like? We can’t yet know, since we would first need to understand the deeper question of how any of our feelings arise in the first place. But it is quite possible that experiencing q-numbers would transcend any other experience we’ve been able to engineer in our history, all while offering an experience that corresponds more closely to fundamental reality than drugs could ever offer. I think this is the biggest transformation that the research I have been describing is capable of initiating. Not only could our quantumly augmented perception enable all of us to have a direct understanding of the underlying physical reality and experience the emotions related to this, but it is quite possible that this newly acquired quantum intuition would in itself be of huge advantage for our survival. Maybe, just maybe, it would allow us to build a better and more robust society than anything we’ve been able to master so far. Now, there’s a thought for the twenty-first century. Turn on, tune in, and follow me on this adventure to reach the portals into a new reality."
— Vlatko Vedral, Portals to a New Reality: Five Pathways to the Future of Physics (New York: Basic Books, 2024), pp. 258–259.
Three Key Ideas: Superposition, Entanglement, Uncertainty
For Vedral, three ideas lie at the heart of quantum mechanics and prepare the way for his discussion of q-numbers, information, and a new mode of experiencing reality.
Superposition: Many possibilities at once
In classical physics, a thing has one definite state at a time. A baseball is here or there. A coin is heads or tails.
In quantum physics, a system can exist in a superposition of multiple possible states simultaneously. An electron may have several possible locations, momenta, or energy levels at once. These possibilities coexist until an interaction or measurement yields a definite outcome.
For Vedral, superposition reveals that reality is deeper and more open than classical common sense suggests. The world is not simply composed of fixed actualities; it includes genuine possibilities.
Entanglement: Relationships all the way down
Entanglement occurs when two or more quantum systems become so deeply correlated that they can no longer be fully described independently of one another.
If two particles are entangled, knowing something about one immediately tells us something about the other, even if they are separated by great distances.
Einstein famously found this disturbing and called it "spooky action at a distance."
Vedral sees entanglement as evidence that relationships are fundamental. Information resides not only in individual things but also in the connections between them. Reality is woven together relationally.
The Uncertainty Principle: Limits to definiteness
Formulated by Werner Heisenberg, the uncertainty principle states that certain pairs of properties—most famously position and momentum—cannot both be known with perfect precision.
Δx Δp≥ℏ2
The triangles (Δ) in Δx and Δp just mean “change in” or “uncertainty in”.
So the equation is really saying: the product of how uncertain the position is and how uncertain the momentum is can’t be smaller than a fixed tiny number (ℏ/2).
This is not simply a limitation of our instruments. It is a feature of reality itself.
The quantum world resists complete definiteness. There are built-in limits to precision and predictability.
For Vedral, this means that openness and indeterminacy belong to the fabric of the universe.
Why These Three Matter
Together these ideas suggest a world in which:
A Whiteheadian reader may hear echoes of three corresponding themes:
Superposition: Many possibilities at once
In classical physics, a thing has one definite state at a time. A baseball is here or there. A coin is heads or tails.
In quantum physics, a system can exist in a superposition of multiple possible states simultaneously. An electron may have several possible locations, momenta, or energy levels at once. These possibilities coexist until an interaction or measurement yields a definite outcome.
For Vedral, superposition reveals that reality is deeper and more open than classical common sense suggests. The world is not simply composed of fixed actualities; it includes genuine possibilities.
Entanglement: Relationships all the way down
Entanglement occurs when two or more quantum systems become so deeply correlated that they can no longer be fully described independently of one another.
If two particles are entangled, knowing something about one immediately tells us something about the other, even if they are separated by great distances.
Einstein famously found this disturbing and called it "spooky action at a distance."
Vedral sees entanglement as evidence that relationships are fundamental. Information resides not only in individual things but also in the connections between them. Reality is woven together relationally.
The Uncertainty Principle: Limits to definiteness
Formulated by Werner Heisenberg, the uncertainty principle states that certain pairs of properties—most famously position and momentum—cannot both be known with perfect precision.
Δx Δp≥ℏ2
The triangles (Δ) in Δx and Δp just mean “change in” or “uncertainty in”.
- Δx = how uncertain or “spread out” the particle’s position is.
- Δp = how uncertain the particle’s momentum (mass × speed, basically how fast and in which direction it’s moving) is.
So the equation is really saying: the product of how uncertain the position is and how uncertain the momentum is can’t be smaller than a fixed tiny number (ℏ/2).
This is not simply a limitation of our instruments. It is a feature of reality itself.
The quantum world resists complete definiteness. There are built-in limits to precision and predictability.
For Vedral, this means that openness and indeterminacy belong to the fabric of the universe.
Why These Three Matter
Together these ideas suggest a world in which:
- Superposition reveals a reality rich with possibilities.
- Entanglement reveals a reality constituted by relationships.
- Uncertainty reveals a reality that is always more than our concept of it.
A Whiteheadian reader may hear echoes of three corresponding themes:
- Potentiality (superposition),
- Relationality (entanglement),
- Creative openness (uncertainty).
Q-Numbers
To understand Vlatko Vedral's invitation to "feel q-numbers," it helps to begin with the distinction he draws between c-numbers (classical numbers) and q-numbers (quantum numbers).
C-Numbers: The World of Classical Reality
C-numbers are the ordinary numbers we learn in school. They describe a world in which things possess definite properties.
A baseball has a specific location.
A car has a definite speed.
A thermometer displays a particular temperature.
Examples:
These numbers have a single value at a given moment. They can be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided according to ordinary arithmetic.
In a classical world, reality is composed of things that possess definite characteristics whether or not anyone observes them.
Q-Numbers: The World of Quantum Reality
Q-numbers describe a very different kind of reality. Instead of representing a single definite value, a q-number often represents a range of possibilities that coexist prior to measurement.
Examples:
In such cases, there is no single classical answer waiting to be discovered. The possibilities themselves are part of reality.
Why This Matters
Vedral suggests that modern physics points toward a universe in which q-numbers are more fundamental than c-numbers. From this perspective, the world is not primarily composed of fixed things possessing definite properties. Instead, it is composed of possibilities, relationships, probabilities, and patterns of information.
C-Numbers: The World of Classical Reality
C-numbers are the ordinary numbers we learn in school. They describe a world in which things possess definite properties.
A baseball has a specific location.
A car has a definite speed.
A thermometer displays a particular temperature.
Examples:
- The baseball is 3 feet from home plate.
- The car is traveling 60 miles per hour.
- The room temperature is 72°F.
- A person's weight is 180 pounds.
These numbers have a single value at a given moment. They can be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided according to ordinary arithmetic.
In a classical world, reality is composed of things that possess definite characteristics whether or not anyone observes them.
Q-Numbers: The World of Quantum Reality
Q-numbers describe a very different kind of reality. Instead of representing a single definite value, a q-number often represents a range of possibilities that coexist prior to measurement.
Examples:
- An electron may occupy a superposition of several locations at once.
- A quantum particle may possess multiple possible momenta simultaneously.
- An electron's spin may be both "up" and "down" in a quantum superposition.
- An atom may exist in a combination of different energy states.
In such cases, there is no single classical answer waiting to be discovered. The possibilities themselves are part of reality.
Why This Matters
Vedral suggests that modern physics points toward a universe in which q-numbers are more fundamental than c-numbers. From this perspective, the world is not primarily composed of fixed things possessing definite properties. Instead, it is composed of possibilities, relationships, probabilities, and patterns of information.
Interview wih Viatko Vedral
A Whiteheadian Response to Vedral
In the last section of this essay, I want to offer a Whiteheadian response to Vedral. While he suggests that future developments in quantum science may make possible a form of "quantumly augmented perception," he does not say much about what such perception would actually entail. What might it feel like? How would it affect our experience of ourselves, others, and the world?
From a Whiteheadian perspective, I suggest that quantumly augmented perception would involve at least the following.
An Intuitive Sense of Flow.
Reality would no longer appear primarily as a collection of fixed objects possessing fixed properties. Instead, it would be experienced as a continuous process of becoming. Everything would be seen as moving, changing, evolving, and responding. We would become more aware of verbs than nouns, of activity rather than substance, of process rather than permanence. The world would appear less like a machine and more like a living stream.
A Heightened Sense of Interconnectedness.
We would become more aware that nothing exists in isolation. Every event would be felt as participating in wider networks of relationship. The boundaries between self and world would remain real but become more permeable. Entanglement would be experienced not simply as a scientific concept but as a dimension of daily life.
An Awareness of Emergence.
We would become more sensitive to the continual birth of novelty. Reality would be experienced not merely as repeating patterns but as an ongoing creative advance into new forms. We would notice how new possibilities emerge from old situations and how the future remains genuinely open.
Openness to Alternatives
The world would appear less settled and more unfinished. Beneath every actuality we would sense alternative possibilities waiting to be realized. Life would be experienced as participation in a field of potentiality. The future would not feel predetermined but inviting.
Participatory Co-Creation.
We would experience ourselves not merely as observers of reality but as participants in its unfolding. Every decision, every act of attention, every response to another person would be understood as contributing to the becoming of the world. We would experience ourselves as co-creators within a larger process.
A Direct Feeling Q-Numbers
My proposal is that q-numbers feel like relevant potentialities, bristling with potency, waiting for actualization in the unfolding of reality. They are alive with possibility, poised to manifest, and inherently relational—they call for engagement to realize their effects in the world.
This perspective differs from Vedral’s emphasis, which often suggests that potentialities are more fundamental than actualities. My view, in contrast, holds that actualities and potentialities are co-real, though actualities provide the concrete grounding from which possibilities gain expression. To feel q-numbers, then, is to feel sheer presence—to perceive potentiality not as abstract or secondary, but as an experiential, fundamental feature of our lives and of the universe itself.
Feeling q-numbers in this way emphasizes that reality is always a field of potential becoming, in which possibilities are palpable, emergent, and intimately connected to the actualities through which they express themselves. The potentials for becoming are "information" - whether mathematically represented or poetically represented.
Whether such a mode of perception is possible remains unknown. But if Vedral is right that future forms of awareness may allow us to feel the world more directly in terms of possibilities, relationships, and information, then these may be some of the qualities of that experience.
From a Whiteheadian perspective, I suggest that quantumly augmented perception would involve at least the following.
An Intuitive Sense of Flow.
Reality would no longer appear primarily as a collection of fixed objects possessing fixed properties. Instead, it would be experienced as a continuous process of becoming. Everything would be seen as moving, changing, evolving, and responding. We would become more aware of verbs than nouns, of activity rather than substance, of process rather than permanence. The world would appear less like a machine and more like a living stream.
A Heightened Sense of Interconnectedness.
We would become more aware that nothing exists in isolation. Every event would be felt as participating in wider networks of relationship. The boundaries between self and world would remain real but become more permeable. Entanglement would be experienced not simply as a scientific concept but as a dimension of daily life.
An Awareness of Emergence.
We would become more sensitive to the continual birth of novelty. Reality would be experienced not merely as repeating patterns but as an ongoing creative advance into new forms. We would notice how new possibilities emerge from old situations and how the future remains genuinely open.
Openness to Alternatives
The world would appear less settled and more unfinished. Beneath every actuality we would sense alternative possibilities waiting to be realized. Life would be experienced as participation in a field of potentiality. The future would not feel predetermined but inviting.
Participatory Co-Creation.
We would experience ourselves not merely as observers of reality but as participants in its unfolding. Every decision, every act of attention, every response to another person would be understood as contributing to the becoming of the world. We would experience ourselves as co-creators within a larger process.
A Direct Feeling Q-Numbers
My proposal is that q-numbers feel like relevant potentialities, bristling with potency, waiting for actualization in the unfolding of reality. They are alive with possibility, poised to manifest, and inherently relational—they call for engagement to realize their effects in the world.
This perspective differs from Vedral’s emphasis, which often suggests that potentialities are more fundamental than actualities. My view, in contrast, holds that actualities and potentialities are co-real, though actualities provide the concrete grounding from which possibilities gain expression. To feel q-numbers, then, is to feel sheer presence—to perceive potentiality not as abstract or secondary, but as an experiential, fundamental feature of our lives and of the universe itself.
Feeling q-numbers in this way emphasizes that reality is always a field of potential becoming, in which possibilities are palpable, emergent, and intimately connected to the actualities through which they express themselves. The potentials for becoming are "information" - whether mathematically represented or poetically represented.
Whether such a mode of perception is possible remains unknown. But if Vedral is right that future forms of awareness may allow us to feel the world more directly in terms of possibilities, relationships, and information, then these may be some of the qualities of that experience.