My undergraduate mentor, the philosopher Paul Feyerabend, opened my eyes to the profound conceptual flaws at the foundation of quantum mechanics. So began my search for a coherent alternative that led to the discovery of the “stochastic electron theory” (SET) I described here. In this nontechnical essay, I explain what’s at stake, sketch the theory, and reflects on its implications.

NOTE: Physicists and mathematically-inclined readers will find technical details and citations in the pdf version.