TPF : Collapse of Wavefunction

A place for discussion of ideas presented in the BothAndBlog, or relevant to the Enformationism thesis.
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Gnomon
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TPF : Collapse of Wavefunction

Post by Gnomon » Tue Aug 23, 2022 7:25 pm

The problem is more that quantum physics has essentially zero philosophical content: as much compatible with free will as determinism, miracles "can happen" as much as they are extremely unlikely to happen, could be all a simulation and a way to simply compress the data of the simulation and so on and so on. — boethius

That's a provocative assertion for a philosophy forum. Of course, Quantum Physics has no philosophical content for those who prefer to "shut up and calculate". Likewise, the self-moving rocks in the desert have no inherent philosophical implications, for those who are content just to dispassionately observe a strange phenomenon.

But some of us are inclined to ask "how" (scientific) or "why" (philosophical) questions about mysterious events, such as invisible mathematical quantum fields suddenly manifesting detectable physical particles, only when actively measured. We can either explain one mystery by another, as in Miracles, or we can try to find a direct mechanical cause & effect connection (how).

Or, we can propose an answer that is somewhere in between Magic & Mechanics (why). For example, the relationship between Information & Energy suggests a possible relationship between Quantum Queerness and Consciousness. Why? Because the physicist wants to know "how".

Does Consciousness Cause Quantum Collapse? :
In conclusion, the ‘consciousness causes quantum collapse’ hypothesis – at least when combined with modern neuroscience – is a viable theory of physical and mental reality, which offers a clear research program and distinctive experimental predictions. It proposes a solution to the measurement problem by defining when and where collapse occurs. And it provides a place for consciousness in nature by giving consciousness a causal role. Developing this theory may well enable us to answer even deeper questions; questions such as why consciousness causes collapse and why consciousness exists at all.
https://philosophynow.org/issues/121/Do ... m_Collapse

Quantum Weirdness :
Phillip Ball introduces his topic by clarifying the murkiness of Quantum Physics : “what has emerged most strongly from this work on the fundamental aspects of quantum theory is that it is not a theory about particles and waves, discreteness or uncertainty or fuzziness. It is a theory about information.” [My emphasis] He then admits that “quantum information brings its own problems, because it raises questions about what this information is . . . because information is not a thing that you can point to . . .” Consequently, his book is more about Philosophy than Science. Ironically, the exotic mathematics of Quantum Theory has become the foundation of 21st century science, even though its implications cannot be understood intuitively, or in terms of 19th century Classical Physics. Hence the so-called “weirdness” of QT has remained as queer as ever over the last century.
http://bothandblog7.enformationism.info/page43.html


Mystery of Death Valley's 'Sailing Stones' Solved :
The rocks' apparent movement has been blamed on everything from space aliens and magnetic fields to pranksters. But no one has actually seen the rocks move, which only adds to the mystery.
https://www.livescience.com/37492-saili ... rocks.html

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