COSM, Quantum Entanglement, and the Challenge to Materialism

At a recent COSM (Center for Science & Culture) event, Louisa Gilder’s discussion drew attention to her book The Age of Entanglement and the strange, counterintuitive nature of quantum mechanics. Central to that discussion was quantum entanglement — a phenomenon where two particles, even when separated by vast distances, remain deeply linked, such that a measurement of one immediately affects the state of the other.

This kind of instantaneous correlation is called non-locality, famously derided by Einstein as “spooky action at a distance.” But modern physics shows it’s real — not just a mathematical trick.

Why This Matters for Materialism

Materialism, in its classical form, assumes the universe is made up of separate, billiard-ball–like particles bumping into each other by direct, local interactions. But entanglement challenges that view on several fronts:

Mechanistic Causation Is Not Enough
When we observe entangled particles, they don’t behave like independent little objects. Their states are correlated in a way that cannot be fully explained by local, mechanistic interactions. This suggests there may be deeper or different kinds of causality than what materialism traditionally allows.

Layers of Reality Beyond Matter and Energy
Because entanglement behaves so strangely, some thinkers propose that there are “hidden dimensions” or levels of reality we don’t yet understand — possibly even non-material ones. This opens the door to considering that mind (or consciousness) could be a fundamental piece of the picture, not just an emergent byproduct of matter.

The Role of Consciousness
Some interpretations of quantum mechanics suggest that consciousness might play a real, active role in shaping the fabric of reality. In this view, the act of measurement — often tied to observation — could mean more than just observing: it might mean participating in the unfolding of reality. If true, this idea challenges the purely materialistic assumption that matter and energy are all there is.

The Take‑Home: Reality Is More Mysterious Than We Thought

As Louisa Gilder put it, “The world is so much more mysterious than what we just see.” Quantum entanglement reveals that the universe might not be merely a mechanical, material system. Instead, there could be hidden structures or immaterial layers — places where consciousness is woven into the fabric of existence.