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Hugh Everitt (on BBC4)

Mick Mac

By Mick Mac
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HAL9000

HAL9000

Posted
Posted

Ah yes - Hugh Everett. I've cited the Everett-Wheeler metatheory of Quantum Mechanics a few times in the Drawing Room thread "Is there a God?" I don't think many people understand it - you're not alone.


It's not really about parallel universes either. Bryce DeWitt called it the "many-worlds" interpretation, a more popular but still vague description of what is probably the most remarkable, mind-boggling and thought-provoking scientific theory ever proposed.

HAL9000

HAL9000

Posted
Posted

katie1997 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> quantum cars.


Thank you Katie - I was wondering how one might explain Hugh Everett?s meta-theory to a lay audience. Here are a couple of (admittedly, simplistic) analogies based on the two principal interpretations of Quantum Mechanics.


According to the Copenhagen Interpretation: an "Observer" in a quantum car would travel along all possible routes to every possible destination but would only "exist" at the single destination where the car crashes into something (i.e. the wave function collapses).


According to Hugh Everett's Interpretation: an "Observer" in a quantum car would travel along all possible routes and would come to "exist" at every possible destination as a superposition of his original self, with each of those selves having no knowledge of any of the other selves (i.e. the wave function does not collapse - the universe bifurcates).


Life, the universe and everything - it doesn?t get much weirder than that!

Ladymuck

Ladymuck

Posted
Posted

HAL9000 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Everyone knows entangled particles

> are complementary, not complimentary!


Hmmmm...purposeful and cunning misconstruction aside...I am surprised that an erudite programmable machine such as yourself should declare such a thing. May I suggest that, on this occasion at least, your - usually - rational thought has become clouded by that feisty temperament of yours.


My life has taken many directions in an immeasurable number of branching universes. Indeed, it will not have escaped your notice that at the last point of bifurcation - i.e. in this fork of the universe - I was destined to be a "staffie". As you know, each branch will have embarked on a different future completely independently of each other. As you - yourself - have alluded to above, under Everett's interpretation "I" will have come to "exist" at every possible destination as a superposition of [my] original self, with each of those selves having no knowledge of any of the other selves.


Therefore, whereas I may have been aware of the correct grammatical usage of "complimentary/complementary" whilst in a superposition in location X, it does not necessarily follow that I should then be similarly aware whilst in a superposition in an altogether different location - e.g. location Y.


However, I'm sure, you knew that.





*goes for a lie down*


STILL laughing BTW:))






.

katie1997

katie1997

Posted
Posted

]*member of lay audience looks confused*



Erm...shd I have put a smile thing at the end of my cars, mechanics. Is any of this thread relative, ha ha? that's in italics btw ;)


Anyway...did you hear the one about two electrons sitting on a park bench? No? Good, I'll leave it there then...


*goes back to reading 'bluffers guide to super-string theory'*


And at the same time..


*still laughing in another dimension*


And..


*concentrating on work*

Ladymuck

Ladymuck

Posted
Posted

pssstt...


pssstt...Katie...


*whispers so HAL9000 cannot hear*


It's all on Google...but don't say nuffink...cos HAL9000 finks me is clever innit...


Anyway, I'm just on my way out...intend grabbing a scoop of SCIC(TM)...shall I have an extra scoop on your behalf?



*tiptoes away everso quietly*


BTW, Quantum Mechanics = Quantum Cars...love it!! Utterly logical!(tu)

Ladymuck

Ladymuck

Posted
Posted

katie1997 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Btw, select the 'highlighter tool' and apply it to

> the top secret text below



Executed with due care and diligence.


Hopefully the information has now branched off to a parallel universe where it's interpretation will result in an entirely different outcome to our ?universe and where computers are now extinct. Indeed, computers have been replaced by Quantum Cars. I only pray that a superposition "Scoop" is in existence in readiness for the arrival of our superpositions.


I therefore hope to meet your superposition at Location X^/>Y in due course.


Laters.

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