Dear friends,
I am glad to update that our philosophy of physics discussion club will hold two mini-workshops during the coming semester.
1. A mini-workshop on the Many World Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics will be held in TAU on March 18th (details are below).
2. A second mini-workshop on quantum contextuality, relationism and symmetries will take place on June 6th in the afternoon (please save the date, and stay tuned for more details!).
Reminder: Our meetings aim to allow thorough discussion in a friendly atmosphere of new papers and work-in-progress. If you wish to present your work please send an email to
gu...@openu.ac.il.
Mini-Workshop on the Many World Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
Time: March 18th, 14:00-17:45
Place: Tel-Aviv University, Kaplun Building 205
Program:
Orly Shenker and Meir Hemmo - What would our experience look like if Everett’s interpretation of quantum mechanics were true?
Dustin Lazarovici - Nonlocal Vacuum Phenomena in the Many-Worlds Interpretation
Lev Vaidman - Transfer of quantum information in teleportation
Open discussion
Abstracts
What would our experience look like if Everett’s interpretation of quantum mechanics were true?
Orly Shenker (HUJI) and Meir Hemmo (Haifa)
We explain the sense in which standard quantum mechanics as well as Everett’s interpretation face the problem of the preferred basis, which we argue leads to what one may call an indeterminacy of measurement. We then address an argument by Sidney Coleman according to which the linearity of the Schrödinger equation is just about enough to account for our everyday experience in which it appears to us that von Neumann’s collapse postulate which prefers a basis is true. We show that Coleman’s argument presupposes a preferred basis. Finally, we address the question of degenerate observables and coarse graining and its implications with respect to Everett’s interpretation.
Nonlocal Vacuum Phenomena in the Many-Worlds Interpretation
Dustin Lazarovici (The Technion)
Two of the main arguments claimed in favor of the Many-Worlds Interpretation are that it a) avoids nonlocal interactions and b) extends straightforwardly to relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. The talk (presenting joint work in progress with Christian Beck) challenges whether both claims can be true at the same time. The reason is that, in relativistic quantum (field) theory, we encounter new kinds of nonlocal phenomena related to particle creation and the fact that the vacuum is a “superentangled” state. We argue that those may amount to action-at-a-distance even under an Everettian interpretation, though a precise answer requires more clarity about the ontology of the theory.
Transfer of quantum information in teleportation
Lev Vaidman (TAU)
The controversial issue of information transfer in quantum teleportation procedure is analyzed in the framework of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. In contrast to the claims of Deutsch & Hayden 2000, it is argued that quantum information, considered as a measurable property for an observer in a particular world, is transferred in a nonlocal way in the teleportation process. This, however, does not lead to action at a distance on the level of the universe which includes all parallel worlds.
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Guy.
---
Dr. Guy Hetzroni
Department of Natural Sciences
The Open University of Israel
