An Interview With David Bohm

David Bohm, quantum physicist and philosopher (1917-1992), sat down for this interview in 1989 before lecturing at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen. The video lacks any introduction to its subject, apparently (and I think wrongly) assuming viewer familiarity with Bohm's theories. An unseen interviewer questions Bohm on his radical views on quantum physics and mechanics, and the concepts of wholeness and "implicate order." Bohm feels that scientists have become entrapped by a fragmentary, atomistic world view, focused more on process than wholeness. This fragmentary view has left humanity ill equipped to deal with negative effects of economic growth, the threat of nuclear war, and the ominous implications of the world's piecemeal attempts to solve the global ecological crisis. Bohm discusses his differences with Niels Bohr's theories, calls for a changed world consciousness, and asks for a dialogue between scientists and the general public. Bohm has a low key humane presence. He is articulate, though never dynamic. However, the sudden shift from scientific topics to then current (1989) political issues at interview's end left me confused. The lack of any introductory or supplementary materials makes this video suitable only for university libraries. (S. Rees)