Implicate and explicate order: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:16, 19 July 2005

Revision as of 18:18, 19 July 2005

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Central to Bohm's schema is the notion that correlations between observables of entities which seem separated by great distances in the Explicate Order (such as a particular electron here on earth and an [[alpha particle]] in one of the stars in the [[Abell 1835 IR1916|Abell 1835 galaxy]], the farthest galaxy from Earth known to humans) are actually manifestations of the Implicate Order. The motivation for this perspective stems from the observation within quantum theory of the [[quantum entanglement|entanglement]] of such objects. It should be noted that this view of order necessarily departs from any notion of order which entails signalling, and therefore causality: that is, the correlation of [[observables]] does not imply a causal [[influence]] (in Bohm's schema, the latter represents 'relatively' independent evdents in space-time and therefore Explicate Order).

He also used the term '''unfoldment''' to characterise processes in which the Explicate Order becomes relevant (or "relevated"). Bohm likens unfoldment also to the decoding of a television [[signal processing|signal]] to produce a sensible [[image]] on a [[screen]]. The signal, screen, and television electronics in this analogy represent the Implicate Order whilst the image produced represents the Explicate Order. He also uses a striking example in which an ink droplet can be introduced into a highly [[viscous]] [[substance]], and the substance rotated very slowly such that there is negligible [[diffusion]] of the substance. In this example, the droplet becomes a thread which, in turn, eventually becomes invisible. However, by rotating the substance is the reverse direction, the droplet can essentially reform. When it is invisible, the order of the ink droplet as a pattern is ''implicate'' within the substance.

In another analogy, Bohm asks us to consider a pattern produced by making small cuts in a folded piece of paper and then, literally, unfolding it. Widely separated elements of the pattern are, in actuality, produced by the same original cut in the folded piece of paper. Here the cuts in the folded paper represent the Implicate Order and the unfolded pattern represents the Explicate Order.