> Where's where I'm confused: I thought it was only the detector > envelope that determined the results envelope, not the other way around.
Right: it should only be the detector results. His set up is that (1) if I look in the detector envelope, then there is no pattern in the results envelope; and (2) if I don't ever look in the detector envelope, then there is a pattern in the results envelope. So, I set the detector envelope on the desk, unopened. I take the results envelope and open it. If there is a pattern, that means I never look in the detector envelope; but then I look in the detector envelope. If there is no pattern, that means I will look in the detector envelope. But then I'll immediately burn the detector envelope unopened. His set-up allows, then, for an impossible situation. I think this impossible situation does not arise in quantum because it is not consciousness, but causal interaction, that decoheres; it's enough that the interaction is measured -- everything causally interacting with the measurement (regardless of whether it is conscious) is part of that collapse. cd On Sep 7, 7:10 am, Alicia Henn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Sep 7, 2008, at 6:47 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > I didn't follow that at all! Is it me? > > Nan > > > In a message dated 9/6/2008 5:00:49 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL > > PROTECTED] > > writes: > > Hey, I just realized, his story yields a paradox! > > > I can do the following: I have the two envelopes, results and > > detector. I open the results envelope with the following conviction: > > if there is an interference pattern, I will open the detector > > envelope. If there is no interference pattern, I will burn the > > detector envelope. Hence, there will be an interference pattern > > inside the results envelope if and only if there is no interference > > pattern inside the results envelope. > > > Hence, the situation K describes is impossible. > > > QED. > > > cd > > > Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog, plus > > the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "R-SPEC: The Rochester Speculative Literature Association" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/r-spec?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
