From a Bohmian perspective, quantum mechanics consists of a wave function psi(q) that guides all the particles Q. The wave function is distinct from the particl

From a Bohmian perspective, quantum mechanics consists of a wave function psi(q) that guides all the particles Q. The wave function is distinct from the particles. The particles are in equilibrium, relative to the wave function. It is the wave function that is not in equilibrium in its realm of states. As it turns out, the usual psi^2 probability distribution of the particles is a reflection that the particles are in quantum equilibrium, that is, psi^2 is the natural measure in quantum mechanics for what equilibrium ought to be since it is the only measure preserved by the dynamics. And so if the particles start that way, they stay that way. And they are likely to start that way using psi^2 as the distribution. There is actually a lot of subtlety involved in accepting that argument; I recommend http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-bohm/#qr http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-bohm/#qr and an actual paper: http://www.ge.infn.it/~zanghi/BMQE.pdf http://www.ge.infn.it/~zanghi/BMQE.pdf But what it implies is that the wave function is responsible for the arrow of time. It is a special state that evolves into a less special state. Presumably this is what their research is pointing at. I would also comment that their description is exactly the classical explanation transferred to the quantum world (which it needs to be since our world is quantum). That is, we start in a special state and it evolves into a less special state because the less special states are more numerous and so more likely to be, all things being equal. And by more likely, we are talking 10^100 kind of more likely. They still have the problem that the fundamental evolution of the wave function is time reversible. So if that bothered someone (it shouldn't), then their argument does not actually resolve that problem. So I take from their work that what they are doing is getting the classical thermodynamic explanation (which is about volumes in phase space, not human ignorance) and translating it to the quantum theory. Neither wrong nor revolutionary.