[tt] the physics arXiv blog

[Eugen Leitl]

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From: the physics arXiv blog <howdy at arxivblog.com>
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 13:11:03 -0500 (CDT)
To: eugen at leitl.org
Subject: the physics arXiv blog
Reply-To: the physics arXiv blog <howdy at arxivblog.com>


[1]the physics arXiv blog

   [2]How to test the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics

   Posted: 07 Oct 2008 12:59 AM CDT

   [3]mwi1.jpg 
   The many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics holds that before
   a measurement is made, identical copies of the observer exist in
   parallel universes and that all possible results of a measurement
   actually take place in these universes.

   Until now there has been no way to distinguish between this and the
   Born interpretation. This holds that each outcome of a measurement has
   a specific probability and that, while an ensemble of measurements
   will match that distribution, there is no way to determine the outcome
   of specific measurement.

   Now Frank Tipler, a physicist at Tulane University in New Orleans says
   he has hit upon a way in which these interpretations must produce
   different experimental results.

   His idea is to measure how quickly individual photons hitting a screen
   build into a pattern. According to the many worlds interpretation,
   this pattern should build more quickly, says Tipler.

   And he points out that an experiment to test this idea would be easy
   to perform. Simply send photons through a double slit, onto a screen
   and measure where each one hits. Once the experiment is over, a simple
   mathematical test of the data tells you how quickly the pattern
   formed.

   This experiment is almost trivial so we should find out pretty quickly
   which interpretation of quantum mechanics Tipler's test tells us is
   right.

   Then it boils down to whether you believe his reasoning.

   (And not everybody does. When Tipler published his book The Physics of
   Immortality one reviewer described it as " a masterpiece of
   pseudoscience".)

   Let's hope this paper is received a little more positively than his
   books.

   Ref: [4]arxiv.org/abs/0809.4422: Testing Many-Worlds Quantum Theory By
   Measuring Pattern Convergence Rates

   [5][arXivblog?i=FLs5cK] 
   [6][arXivblog?i=sfLKM] [7][arXivblog?i=JawOM] [8][arXivblog?i=JsyFm]
   [9][arXivblog?i=5pb4M] [10][arXivblog?i=vx6lm] [11][arXivblog?i=lKKfM]
   [12][arXivblog?i=CumEm] [13][arXivblog?i=QvERM] 
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References

   1. http://arxivblog.com/
   2. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arXivblog/~3/413506016/
   3. http://arxivblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/mwi1.jpg
   4. http://arxiv.org/abs/0809.4422
   5. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/arXivblog?a=FLs5cK
   6. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=sfLKM
   7. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=JawOM
   8. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=JsyFm
   9. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=5pb4M
  10. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=vx6lm
  11. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=lKKfM
  12. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=CumEm
  13. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/arXivblog?a=QvERM
  14. http://arxivblog.com/
  15. http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailunsub?id=8632699&key=kesJ612ZsV
  16. http://feeds.feedburner.com/arXivblog
  17. http://feeds.feedburner.com/arXivblog

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Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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