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Re: The real, and unanswered, question for us all is WHAT IS CONSCIOUSNESS?

By: De_Composed in 6TH POPE | Recommend this post (0)
Mon, 03 Jun 24 2:27 AM | 36 view(s)
Boardmark this board | 6th Edition Pope Board 		Msg. 53800 of 60008
(This msg. is a reply to 53795 by ribit)
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ribit:

Re: “...let us go back to Schrodinger's cat. All sealed up in a box with no way to know if it is alive or dead. Is it neither? Is it both?”There are two theories (interpretations) of quantum mechanics, each providing equivalent explanations of dozens of amazing quantum phenomena ... to the extent to which the phenomena are explained anyway. (Some quantum phenomena remain completely baffling. Quantum electrodynamics, the theory that explains the electromagnetic interaction in quantum terms, for instance, works but only as a result of fudging the math to make it fit our observations of the world. In other words, the math says it can't possibly work - but scientists ignore that because it DOES work incredibly well and, arguably, has provided greater benefits to mankind than any other quantum discovery. Wanna win a Nobel Prize in physics? Get QED's math to support its results.)

Regarding Schrodinger's cat: The Copenhagen Interpretation says that the cat is half-dead, neither alive nor dead, but the act of observing the experiment's outcome locks the cat into one state or the other. Why... and which state? Nobody knows. The Everett interpretation with its many-worlds/multi-universes approach says that the cat is both alive and dead in different universes. When we open the box, we learn which universe _we_ are in. Why should the universe split in two when we initiate the experiment? Again, nobody knows. It is possible that neither interpretation is right and that another interpretation will come along to better resolve the puzzles. But it'll have its work cut out for it. Whatever it is will have to explain ALL that's been learned about the quantum world since Planck, as well or better than the two dominant interpretations. It's a very tall order.

Perhaps mt will want to wade in on this. He's the scientist, after all, and I'm sure he can add great depth and color to what I've just outlined.





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The above is a reply to the following message:
Re: The real, and unanswered, question for us all is WHAT IS CONSCIOUSNESS?
By: ribit in 6TH POPE
Mon, 03 Jun 24 1:05 AM 		Msg. 53795 of 60008

...let us go back to Schrodinger's cat. All sealed up in a box with no way to know if it is alive or dead. Is it neither? Is it both? As long as there is no "consciousness" to observe, the answer is illusive and irrelevant.


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