August 29th, 2012
by Max Andrews
In 1956 Hugh Everett III published his Ph.D. dissertation titled “The Theory of the Universal Wave Function.” In this paper Everett argued for the relative state formulation of quantum theory and a quantum philosophy, which denied wave collapse. Initially, this interpretation was highly criticized by the physics community and when Everett visited Niels Bohr in Copenhagen in 1959. Bohr was unimpressed with Everett’s most recent development.[1]
In 1957 Everett coined his theory as the Many Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics. In an attempt to circumvent the problem of defining the mechanism for the state of collapse, Everett suggested that all orthogonal relative states are equally valid ontologically.[2] What this means is that all possible states are true and exist simultaneously.
We have a problem of using secondary sources. I’ve provided a link below that takes you back to Everett’s original dissertation to read for ourselves.
Posted in Quantum Mechanics | 3 Comments »
July 26th, 2012
by Max Andrews
The level three multiverse is particular to a certain interpretation of quantum mechanics being Hugh Everett’s Many Worlds Interpretation. It is a mathematically simple model in support of unitary physics. Everything that can happen in the particle realm actually does happen. Each of the many worlds following a split represents one of the possible worlds remaining after the event which led to the split. There are no interactions between these worlds. No observer or inhabitant of them will notice anything about the other worlds.
Everett’s interpretation is not impossible due to the fact that we do not experience the continual splitting of our world. Observers would only view their level one multiverse, but the process of decoherence—which mimics wave function collapse while preserving unitary physics—prevents them from seeing the level three parallel copies of themselves.[1] It is no more contradicted by our failure to experience the splitting than the theory that the earth rotates is contradicted by our failure to experience its movement. [2]
[1] Max Tegmark, “The Multiverse Hierarchy,” arXiv:0905.1283v1 (accessed March 15, 2011), 10.
[2] Some of the commentary is summarized by Karl Popper in Quantum Theory and the Schism in Physics, ed. W.W. Bartley, III (Totowa, NJ: Rowman and Littlefield, 1982): 91-2.
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July 18th, 2012
by Max Andrews
Word of the Week: String Theory
Definition: The leading theory of everything, which describes the earliest moments of the universe in which the four fundamental forces of nature (gravity, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear) were one force. The most fundamental element of reality are cosmic strings, and their vibration determines what particles or forms it takes.
More about the term: The spontaneous breakdown of symmetries[1] in the early universe can produce linear discontinuities in fields, known as cosmic strings. Cosmic strings are also common in modern string theories in which the most fundamental reality are astronomically tiny vibrating strings (either closed or open depending on the interpretation of the mathematics).[2] The combination of the string/scalar landscape with eternal inflation has in turn led to a markedly increased interest in anthropic reasoning. In this multiverse scenario life will evolve only in very rare regions where the local laws of physics just happen to have the properties needed for life, giving a simple explanation for why the observed universe appears to permit the evolutionary conditions for life. It is argued that such anthropic reasoning can give the illusion of intelligent design without the need for any intelligent intervention.[3] There are at least four ways we can understand the different universes described by string landscape.[4]
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Posted in Cosmology, Quantum Mechanics | 1 Comment »
July 11th, 2012
by Max Andrews
With the recent discovery of a new boson, which is likely to be the elusive Higgs boson, the standard model for particle physics would not be complete. Keep in mind that this only confirms the model that has been used for a long time now. This explains the early moments after the big bang where there was the electroweak force which separated and became the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces (there’s also the strong nuclear force). This doesn’t unify the theory of gravity. Physicists must still develop a theory of quantum gravity.
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Posted in In The News, Quantum Mechanics | 6 Comments »
July 11th, 2012
by Max Andrews
Word of the Week: Decoherence
Definition: A loss of coherence between the angles of components in a superposition and a loss of information due to environment, which gives the appearance of a wave function collapse.
More about the term: A wave function collapse occurs when the outcome of a quantum state is determined by an observer. An observer can be a concious observer or even the interaction of particles. Instead of a determinate state, decoherence is akin to pulling one string out from an entire knot of strings. Decoherence is a major talking point and factor in multiverse scenarios.
In 1956 Hugh Everett III published his Ph.D. dissertation titled “The Theory of the Universal Wave Function.” In this paper Everett argued for the relative state formulation of quantum theory and a quantum philosophy, which denied wave collapse. Initially, this interpretation was highly criticized by the physics community and when Everett visited Niels Bohr in Copenhagen in 1959 Bohr was unimpressed with Everett’s most recent development.[1]
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May 16th, 2012
by Max Andrews
Word of the Week: Mass Density Link Simpliciter (I know this is four words but it’s one term)
Definition: Referring to the understanding and interpretation of the ontology of the wave function in quantum mechanics. This involves what link one should use to go from wave function talk to talk of ordinary macroscopic objects.
More about the term: Because of Einstein’s relativity the Newtonian and Laplacian models have been abandoned. The present discussion of how God interacts with the world has shifted to quantum mechanics. There are over a dozen interpretations, which mathematically describe the quantum world.
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Posted in Metaphysics, Quantum Mechanics | No Comments »
May 7th, 2012
by Max Andrews
I’m sure several of you have heard of quantum tunneling. Vic Stenger is constantly appealing to it in order to explain the origin of the early universe. In a false vacuum quantum fluctuations can occur which allows decay. In a false vacuum the vacuum energy barrier (the Higgs field) doesn’t have enough energy to traverse the field. (Think of a ball sitting on top of a sombrero making an indentation on the top). Even though it cannot traverse the field it can traverse it via tunneling.
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May 6th, 2012
by Max Andrews
Richard Feynmann, a Nobel Laureate, developed thse diagrams to depict what happens when particles collide with each other. I’ve made a rough diagram with an step by step explanation.
The first incoming particle is a down quark, a building block of the proton. By convention, it is depicted by the straight line.- The down quark emits a gluon and turns into a ‘virtual’ down quark. Virtual particles are intermediate stages that cannot be observed on their own.
- The other incoming particle is an up antiquark. This motion/arrow is moving backwards for reasons having to do with relativity theory.
- The up antiquark and virtual down quark annihilate each other, leaving behind a W boson.
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May 6th, 2012
by Max Andrews
One of the most important premises behind quantum physics is to understand its indeterminacy. My question is whether or not a theist can use this as an argument for libertarianism. Subatomic particles behave in indeterminate ways (i.e. if you know the location of a particle you do not know it’s velocity and vise versa). It should be noted that this doesn’t negate the laws of causality. Without the laws of causality science absolutely breaks down. It’s really an issue of probability with quantum physics. The case a libertarian may make is that because quantum mechanics function in an indeterminate way, only with a probability, then nothing can be determined, everything is random. Atheist Daniel Dennett and agnostic Stephen Hawking hold to this view of soft-libertarianism (as naturalists).
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April 17th, 2012
by Max Andrews
The following is an abstract from a paper written by Frank Tipler–a major proponent in the fine-tuning/intelligent design dialogues. I believe this is one of Tipler’s papers that he has been trying to get published for a while but has been unable to because it challenges the status quo concerning the issue of nonlocality in quantum mechanics. I found the paper very interesting and it’s a very short and easy read.
I show that observations of quantum nonlocaltiy can be interpreted as purely local phenomena, provided one assumes that the cosmos is a multiverse. Conversely, the observation of quantum nonlocality can be interpreted as observation evidence for a multiverse cosmology, just as observation of the setting of the Sun can be interpreted as evidence for the Earth’s rotation.
Posted in Cosmology, Quantum Mechanics, Science | 4 Comments »
