Quanta and Complementarity – The Philosophy of Niels Bohr

Reading Assignment:

For the next two sessions, we'll focus on the Everett “many worlds” interpretation (MWI).

• For August 29th, please read chapter 6 of What is Real. This discusses Everett and the origin of his perspective on measurement. Please also read pages 196-199 of What Is Real, wherein Dieter Zeh discovers the significance of quantum/environmental “decoherence”, and “unknowingly reinvented Everett’s many-worlds interpretation from scratch.” There are also two highly suggested supplementary readings: (1) the interview with David Deutsch in the excellent and influential collection, The Ghost in the Atom, edited by P. Davis and J.R. Brown, (2) an overview and criticism MWI can be found in the chapter, "There is no other 'quantum' you," in Beyond Weird, by Philip Ball, pages 286-305. For those wishing to understand the history and reception of Everett’s work, there's an excellent full-length book by Peter Byrne entitled The Many Worlds of Hugh Everatt III. All of these readings except for the last can be found in Rhett's Google Drive; you're on your own to track down Bryne's book.

• For September 12th, please read the entire short book Quantum Physics for Hippies, by Drs. Lukas Neumeier and James Douglas. This was recommended by one of our group members (thanks @gabs》€l¡as♤rt¡sta), and it's excellent. It focuses on the many-worlds perspective, and it's both helpful and entertaining. (In this book the entanglement underlying environmental decoherence is called “quantum gossip”.) This book can be purchased on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Physics-Hippies-Lukas-Neumeier-ebook/dp/B07QGHBSN1

Optional Youtube Videos

• For example, an introduction to MWI by PBS Spacetime is,

The Many World of the Quantum Multiverse https://youtu.be/dzKWfw68M5U?si=nZ5tOzHZSxiQpq-h

• A skeptical take (related to Philip Ball’s criticism) by Sabine Hossenfelder is:,

Does the Many Worlds Interpretation Make Sense? https://youtu.be/433tAfO4dbA?si=95iQaTLvXSSkbjF6

• Another severe take-down of MWI comes from Harvard’s Dr Jacob Barandis:,

The Huge Flaw in the Many Worlds Interpretation https://youtu.be/i1yAfpnErUU?si=S_ADwfEuz2rv6INb A more postive perspective on MWI comes from the prolific Sean Carroll, for example:

• Sean Carroll: Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics,

https://youtu.be/kxvQ3Wyw2M4?si=Ewr72HZp9UchbSzD

• Does Quantum Mechanics Imply Multiple Universes?,

https://youtu.be/JsZ1aB5egEQ?si=KZ_8mxsdFdDUt9K8 At the extreme end, David Deutsch is fond of denying that MWI is an “interpretation”, any more than the existence of dinosuars is an “interpretation” of the fossil record and theory of evolution. Any YouTube search for “David Deutsch Many Worlds of Quantum Mechanics” will yield results.

Meeting information:

Our live meeting will take place on Zoom.

Text-based discussions during and between live meetings will be hosted on the Blinding Cyclops Discord server. You can also find resources related to this seminar and reading assignments there. Join link: https://discord.gg/urPBsNTWuK. Channels related to this seminar can be found under the "Quantum Physics" category.

Syllabus:

We meet alternating Fridays at 4pm PT to discuss interpretations of quantum physics and the philosophy of Niels Bohr.

This seminar has begun with a close reading of a book critical of Niels Bohr, “What is Real?” by Adam Becker, so that we can become grounded in an opposing and critical viewpoint. It's also likely that we'll semi-regularly read source materials as a supplement.

Suggested secondary readings (which we’ll not cover directly but which may be referenced):

• “Quantum Reality,” by Nick Herbert
• “Beyond Weird,” by Philip Ball
• “Elegance and Enigma,” edited by Maximilian Schlosshauer