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Spacetime events and objects aren't all that exists, a new quantum interpretation suggests.
[...] In the new paper, three scientists argue that including "potential things on the list of "real" things can avoid the counterintuitive conundrums that quantum physics poses. It is perhaps less of a full-blown interpretation than a new philosophical framework for contemplating those quantum mysteries. At its root, the new idea holds that the common conception of "reality" is too limited. By expanding the definition of reality, the quantum's mysteries disappear. In particular, "real" should not be restricted to "actual" objects or events in spacetime. Reality ought also be assigned to certain possibilities, or "potential" realities, that have not yet become "actual." These potential realities do not exist in spacetime, but nevertheless are "ontological" — that is, real components of existence.
"This new ontological picture requires that we expand our concept of 'what is real' to include an extraspatiotemporal domain of quantum possibility," write Ruth Kastner, Stuart Kauffman and Michael Epperson.
[...] In their paper, titled "Taking Heisenberg's Potentia Seriously," Kastner and colleagues elaborate on this idea, drawing a parallel to the philosophy of René Descartes. Descartes, in the 17th century, proposed a strict division between material and mental "substance." Material stuff (res extensa, or extended things) existed entirely independently of mental reality (res cogitans, things that think) except in the brain's pineal gland. There res cogitans could influence the body. Modern science has, of course, rejected res cogitans: The material world is all that reality requires. Mental activity is the outcome of material processes, such as electrical impulses and biochemical interactions.
Kastner and colleagues also reject Descartes' res cogitans. But they think reality should not be restricted to res extensa; rather it should be complemented by "res potentia" — in particular, quantum res potentia, not just any old list of possibilities. Quantum potentia can be quantitatively defined; a quantum measurement will, with certainty, always produce one of the possibilities it describes. In the large-scale world, all sorts of possibilities can be imagined (Browns win Super Bowl, Indians win 22 straight games) which may or may not ever come to pass.
This could be an amazing breakthrough - and it would also reconcile Einstein's 'Left Shoe' construction.
Somehow, reading this paper also made me think of software design!
Read the article at sciencenews.org
Read the paper at arxiv.org
(Score: 5, Insightful) by choose another one on Wednesday October 04 2017, @12:44PM (6 children)
Why is it that scientists, who are supposed to be among the most intelligent, are always the last to cotton on?
The media have long ago figured out that "news" is not restricted to "actual" objects or events in spacetime and is instead the sum total of all possible bollocks, and that moreover by the time anyone figures out what the "real" event is (was), no one cares anymore.
Investment bankers have figured out that Ponzi was right all along and the best way to make money is not to restrict oneself to actual returns in spacetime, but rather to take a commission off a mathematical fantasy of all the best possible returns and GTFO just before it all unwinds.
CEOs and accountants know that profits and sales are not restricted to "actual" profits and sales in spacetime, but should rather be reported as the sum of all possible profits and sales, and reported (or moved there without reporting) in a low tax jurisdiction with no extradition. [ and per Douglas Adams, the Disaster Area accountants worked all this out millions of years ago ]
Social networks know that their "real" users are not restricted to "actual" users and views in spacetime
and so on
What the heck has taken the scientists so long?
(Score: 1) by Woosh on Wednesday October 04 2017, @02:47PM
Bravo for this insight! Quantum News, I like the name.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Grishnakh on Wednesday October 04 2017, @02:52PM (1 child)
The scientists are inherently limited because they're fundamentally honest people for the most part. All those other professions are full of people who are liars. When you can make up any bullshit you want and get rubes to believe it, your profit potential is far, far higher.
(Score: 2) by choose another one on Thursday October 05 2017, @10:48AM
Until now.
Based on this paper, anything with finite improbability is now part of (extended) reality, which means it can be considered proven by scientific method by an honest scientist.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by vistic on Wednesday October 04 2017, @05:08PM (2 children)
The wavefunction never collapses.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 04 2017, @07:11PM
It simply propagates.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 05 2017, @08:59AM
Say you. But I can tell you, after enough beer even the strongest wave function collapses. ;-)