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Paper: Civilization-Level Quantum Suicide

Thu, 06/12/2008 - 04:39 — Paul Almond

By Paul Almond

Quantum suicide is a controversial idea proposed by Max Tegmark and based on the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics (MWI). MWI deals with the apparent conflict between quantum mechanics and classical physics which manifests itself in experiments like the double-slit experiment by suggesting that when a quantum event occurs all possible outcomes occur as a result of the world splitting into different worlds for different outcomes. In MWI time is not like a line, but like a tree. Quantum suicide is based on the idea that if MWI is correct and you set up an experiment in which you are immediately killed if a quantum event occurs with a particular outcome, but not killed if it occurs with another outcome, then there will always be branches in which you survive. The really controversial part of the quantum suicide idea is that you should only view those branches in which you can make observations as being possibilities for your future and so, from your point of view, should be certain of survival.

This article will not be arguing for or against the validity of MWI or quantum suicide.

Read full paper here (PDF).


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Comments

Thu, 06/12/2008 - 18:04 — quantum_flux

QL-S

I'm more with Penrose's Twister Theory. Anyhow, I'm halfway through his "Road to Reality" (CH 21) and I like the mathematical elegance he lays out so far. Additionally, that book has helped me gain a much better understanding of probability amplitudes and tensors in spacetime. Anyhow, I see no reason for all possible paths being taken when you think (as I'm so far speculating) that the probability amplitudes are being phased when they've been split and that the constructive interference of the probability amplitude at 1 place leads to the destructive interference of the probability amplitude at another place....although, I didn't quite get, physically how a split probability amplitude could bounce off of a mirror, without annihilation of the split, so perhaps that's a thought experiment in more ways than one....I hope he addresses that matter in further chapters, but perhaps not.

Anyhow, one of the biggest factors being overlooked in the many worlds theory is that there are no immortal people walking around, not 1. You'd expect that, with infinite possibilities, that you would live in at least 1 of those worlds where at least a few people have been around for 50,000 years or so. That goes for animals and plants/trees, etc. Perhaps there should be yet 1 undiscovered dinosaur that survived the last great extinction and you and I are living in that world..... to me it sounds highly prepostorous. But then again, I suppose the odds of that happening too would be very low too.

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