Philosophy time-out
Martin Ciupa
AI Entrepreneur. Keynote Speaker, Interests in: AI/Cybernetics, Physics, Consciousness Studies/Neuroscience, Philosophy: Ethics/Ontology/Maths/Science. Poetry, Life and Love.
Philosophy time-out (in this case the ontology of the physics of reality).
Quantum reality is that when an aspect of it (e.g., the position of a quantum particle in an experiment) is observed, it comes into a coherence of a particular reality. But, there’s a valid conjecture that subsequently, that aspect (the particle say), if then left unobserved, may again morph into an idealism of a multitude of possibilities, i.e., a “superposition”, as it interacts with other unobserved aspects of reality.
My text below explores Philip K. Dick’s quotes on subjective realities in the quotes provided (ie. an observed particular reality might return in some aspects as a superposition).. is it “sane” to consider reality once observed will remain “real”?
Einstein sometimes objected to quantum concepts that question reality. Lee Smolin writes… He once returned from the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton with the late Abraham Pais. The moon was out, and Einstein asked Pais, “Do you believe the moon is not there when you are not looking at it?”
For me, it’s still an open conjecture in principle. Indeed, I am interested in ontological blends of physics and philosophy that challenge traditional deterministic views of reality. As a scenario, it is open to empirical verification at the quantum scale (though I’m not expecting macro objects like the moon to return to superposition!).
I finish this article with.a proposed experiment description to test the notion.
*****
When you observe reality, it becomes a particular singular reality. But, if that particular reality interacts with an unobserved part of reality, it may return to being an idealism of many possibilities (a new superposition). That's weird, but it gets weirder... Reality's natural state is the superposition only when you're looking at it. This applies to other people/observers. So the reality is centred on a singular observer moment by moment, building a narrative/path of memories with potentially infinite possibilities emerging for future paths. This is the reality as understood by the Brain-Centric Many Blockworld Interpretation (BC-MBWI), i.e., an emergent perspective/interpretation of a QM theory with Relativistic block world constructs in a superposition of a many-world interpretation form.
If follows the Ronald Cicurel theory that allows for subjective coming into coherence of a personal path through this many blockworld interpretation.
Key ideas include:
1. Superposition as Natural Reality: The notion that unobserved reality exists as an idealized multitude of possibilities emphasizes existence's fluid, indeterminate nature.
2. Observer’s Role: Observation collapses this superposition into a particular reality, aligning with quantum mechanics’ observer effect. However, you extend this by suggesting that interaction with unobserved reality reverts it to a superposition state, reinforcing the dynamic interplay between observed and unobserved phenomena.
3. Observer-Centric Reality: By positing that reality’s “natural state” is superposition except when observed, it centralizes the observer as the architect/constructor of a singular, moment-to-moment narrative.
4. Future Paths and Infinite Possibilities: This description of reality as a series of memory-anchored moments leading to infinite potential futures reflects the inherently probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics and its philosophical implications.
**** Consider the classic Two Slits experiment in this context/interpretation.
In the two-slit experiment, whether particles return to a superposition after observation depends on the specific conditions and how “observation” is defined. Here’s a breakdown:
1. Before Observation: When no measurement is made to determine which slit the particle passes through, the particle’s wavefunction remains in a superposition of “going through both slits,” leading to an interference pattern on the detection screen.
2. After Observation: When a measurement is made to detect which slit the particle passes through, the wavefunction collapses into a definite state. This destroys the superposition and eliminates the interference pattern, producing two distinct clusters corresponding to the two slits.
3. Post-Observation Dynamics:
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? If the system (particle and measurement device) is allowed to evolve freely without further interaction, the particle may not “go back” into the same superposition state immediately because the act of measurement has irreversibly altered the system’s state.
? However, under certain conditions (e.g., if the measurement apparatus is isolated and the interaction is reversed), it is theoretically possible for the system to return to a superposition. This is highly sensitive to environmental factors and typically impractical due to decoherence.
4. Decoherence: In realistic scenarios, interactions with the environment (even minute ones) prevent the particle from re-entering a clean superposition. Instead, the system remains mixed and no longer supports interference.
5. Quantum Interpretations: The interpretation of what happens depends on the philosophical framework:
? In the Copenhagen interpretation, the particle remains in its collapsed state post-measurement.
? In many-worlds, the system is still in a superposition, but the branches of reality
correspond to different measurement outcomes
.
? In BC-MBWI (Brain-Centric Many-Worlds Interpretation), this might involve subjective aspects of observation related to the observer’s brain.
In summary, while theoretically possible under idealized conditions, particles generally do not “go back” into superposition in practical settings after being observed due to the irreversible nature of measurement and decoherence.
Reference
*****Experiment Design: Testing for Return to Superposition After Unobserved Interaction
This experiment tests the hypothesis that a particle can return to a superposition state after being weakly measured ("observed") through interaction with an unobserved quantum event. This builds upon previous research in delayed-choice, quantum eraser, weak measurement, and entanglement experiments, exploring related concepts of observation, information, and quantum states.