On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 9:40 PM, Bruce Kellett <bhkell...@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> Jason Resch wrote: > >> On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 9:20 PM, Bruce Kellett <bhkell...@optusnet.com.au >> <mailto:bhkell...@optusnet.com.au>> wrote: >> Jason Resch wrote: >> >> There's no problem defining probability. There is, however, a >> big problem defining collapse. >> >> Collapse is easily defined. >> >> So at what point does it happen? >> What triggers it? >> On what scales can and can't it happen? >> How do you define a measurement? An observer? >> How is a measuring apparatus or an observer different from any other >> physical object? >> What is the special property of the observer / measuring device that >> enables it to collapse the wave function? >> If you have an observer who himself is isolated from an external >> environment, can he collapse the wave function? Or can only you collapse >> him by observing him? >> > > > All these questions are rendered irrelevant if you take the view that the > wave function is purely a device for calculating probabilities, So it is easily defined, but when I ask what that definition is, I'm told "shut up and calculate!" > not something that has a real, independent existence. In other words, the > epistemic interpretation of QM. So then what was the universe before there were any observers? Did the first mouse to be born and open its eyes cause the creation of the universe? > There is nothing physical to collapse -- we are dealing solely with > classical probabilities. > If it's just a device for deriving probabilities, what is doing all the work in a quantum computer? Jason -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
