  Arguments are gived for the plausibility that quantum mechanics is a
stochastic theory and that many quantum phenomena derive from the existence of
a real noise consisting of vacuum fluctuations of all fundamental fields
existing in nature. Planck's constant appears as the parameter fixing the scale
of the fluctuations. Hints for an intuitive explanation are offered for some
typical quantum features, like the uncertainty principle or the particle
behaviour of fields. It is proposed that the recent discovery of dark energy in
the universe is an argument for the reality of the vacuum fluctuations. A study
is made of the compatibility of the model with the results of performed tests
of Bell\'{}s inequalities.
