I’m invited to do a poster presentation on June 7 2019 at the SSE conference on consilience. Here is the text of my submission paper:
Submission presentation SSE – english
Interpretations of quantum physics trying to save the idea of an objective reality existing outside us will not survive critical examination of their explanation of the so-called quantum collapse. The following interpretations will be tackled:
- Kopenhagen macro apparatus interpretation,
- Decoherence,
- Super selection,
- Hidden variables,
- Multiversa,
- Spontaneous quantum collapse.
However other interpretations that do accept the connection between the conscious observer and quantum reality confer the problem of the nature of this connection to a more or less magical action on physical reality by a non-physical consciousness. Something I often refer to as ‘Harry Potter’ magic. These interpretations are:
- The Matrix,
- No quantum collapse whatever,
- Von Neumann Projection Postulate.
Those three interpretations and the Kopenhagen interpretation do recognize the quantum wave being a non-physical possibility wave. The quantum wave function gives the time and location dependent possibility to find the quantum particle in a measurement. Because the mathematic expression for the quantum wave describes a probability, which is also nowhere exact null, the wave should be regarded as just as non-local as a thought. These interpretations acknowledging the role of consciousness do not however solve these problems:
- how works consciousness its effect on the non-physical quantum possibility wave,
- how it is possible that multiple observer minds manifest the same outcome? When I observe the moon, I’m surely not the only one so how can I possibly manifest the moon?
Paul J. van Leeuwen graduated in applied physics in Delft TU in 1974. There was little attention to the significance of quantum physics for the view on reality at that time. However, much later in his life he discovered that there is an important and clear connection between quantum physics and consciousness.
What he learned between then and today resulted in a post academic course in quantum physics for non-physicists. A little bit later he decided to put the contents of that course, and more, in a book published in Dutch: Kwantumfysica, Informatie en Bewustzijn – and started a website on the subject. He translated the Dutch version of his book in English, titled: ‘Quantum Physics is NOT Weird’.