Dr Quantum Visits Flatland

* Dr. Amit Goswami has been described as "One of the rare scientists that do not leave out consciousness in explaining quantum physics." [9] Dr.Goswami appears in What is Enlightenment magazine, authored the book The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World (ISBN 0-87477-798-4), has worked with Deepak Chopra and is employed by the Institute of Noetic Sciences. [10]

* Dr. John Hagelin, Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy at Maharishi University of Management, professor of physics at MUM since 1984, [11], and Minister of Science and Technology of the Global Country of World Peace.

* Dr. Stuart Hameroff, an anesthesiologist, author, and associate director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona, has worked with Oxford mathematician, Roger Penrose, on a speculative quantum theory of consciousness.

* JZ Knight, is a spiritual teacher; also identified as the spirit "Ramtha" whom Knight is channelling.

* Dr. Andrew Newberg, assistant professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, and physician in nuclear medicine, is coauthor of the book, Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science & the Biology of Belief (ISBN 0-345-44034-X).

* Dr. Candice Pert, a neuroscientist, discovered the opiate receptor, the cellular bonding site for endorphins in the brain, and in 1977 wrote the book Molecules of Emotion.

* Dr. Fred Alan Wolf, a doctor of philosophy in theoretical physics, recently wrote The Yoga of Time Travel: How the Mind Can Defeat Time. (He is also known by the name "Captain Quantum" — an animated character that was created for the movie but not used in the released version.) He is also author of The Eagle's Quest, The Dreaming Universe and The Spiritual Universe. [12]

* Dr. David Albert, a philosopher of physics and professor at Columbia University. While it may appear as though he supports the ideas that are presented in the movie, according to a Popular Science article, he is "outraged at the final product," because the filmmakers interviewed him about quantum mechanics unrelated to consciousness or spirituality,and then edited the material in such a way that he feels misrepresented his views. [13]

Other interviewees in the film include Joe Dispenza, a chiropractor, author, and a devotee of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment;[14] Miceal Ledwith, author and former professor of theology at Maynooth College in Ireland; Daniel Monti, physician and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Program at Thomas Jefferson University; Dr. Jeffrey Satinover, psychiatrist, author and professor; and William Tiller, Professor Emeritus of Material Science and Engineering at Stanford University, author of over 250 scientific publications, and employed by the Institute of Noetic Sciences. [10]

[edit] Controversy

According to Physics Today Online, the film invokes quantum physics to promote pseudoscience.[15] The article also states "the movie illustrates the uncertainty principle with a bouncing basketball being in several places at once. There's nothing wrong with that. It's recognized as pedagogical exaggeration. But the movie gradually moves to quantum "insights" that lead a woman to toss away her antidepressant medication, to the quantum channeling of Ramtha, the 35,000-year-old Atlantis god, and on to even greater nonsense."

John Gorenfeld reports that three directors are devotees of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment and JZ Knight/Ramtha.[16]

The Guardian Unlimited published an article summarizing the reactions to the film by some British scientists. Richard Dawkins states that "the authors seem undecided whether their theme is quantum theory or consciousness. Both are indeed mysterious, and their genuine mystery needs none of the hype with which this film relentlessly and noisily belabours us", concluding that the film is "tosh". Professor Clive Greated writes that "thinking on neurology and addiction are covered in some detail but, unfortunately, early references in the film to quantum physics are not followed through, leading to a confused message". He also questions whether modern physics cannot be married with institutional religion as the film implies. Simon Singh called it pseudoscience, and said the suggestion "that if observing water changes its molecular structure, and if we are 90% water, then by observing ourselves we can change at a fundamental level via the laws of quantum physics" was "ridiculous balderdash." According to Dr Joao Migueijo, reader in theoretical physics at Imperial College, the film deliberately misquotes science. [17]

An article published by Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that Associate Professor Zdenka Kuncik, Professor Peter Schofield and Professor Max Colthear have criticised the film's ideas that quantum mechanics means an observer can consciously affect reality, saying: "The observer effect of quantum physics isn't about people or reality. It comes from the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and it's about the limitations of trying to measure the position and momentum of subatomic particles". They also maintain that quantum effects have little influence on everyday objects like stones, and only apply to sub-atomic particles[18]. The article also discusses Hagelin's experiment with Transcendental Meditation and the Washington D.C rate of violent crime; they note that "the number of murders actually went up". They also comment on the film's use of the ten percent myth.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Fortean times have both discussed the story of the Native American's "perceptual blindness" to European ships. Both agree that there is a real psychological phenomenon of perceptual blindness, but find the historical details of the account given in the film to be unconvincing. The Fortean Times concludes that the story originated with Captain Cook. [19]