Friday, September 1, 2023

What would our everyday experience be in the Many Worlds or Everette Formulation of quantum mechanics?

There was a famous exchange between Ludwig Wittgenstein and  Elizabeth Anscombe


He asked why people had once  thought the sun revolved around the earth? 

She replied because it appeared that way.

He then asked, what if the earth had benn rotated on its axis?


It is sometimes asked what our everyday experience would be in the Many Worlds or Everette Formulation of quantum mechanics.


In the Everette formulation, also known as the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, every possible outcome of a quantum event occurs in a separate universe.


This means that there are an infinite number of universes, each with its own unique history and laws of physics.


Our everyday experience would be the same in each of these universes, as we would only be aware of the universe in which we are currently living. 


However, if we were to interact with a quantum system in a way that created a superposition of states, we would be able to experience different outcomes in different universes.


For example, if we were to flip a quantum coin, we would only see one outcome, heads or tails.


However, in the Everette formulation, both outcomes would actually occur, one in each universe. 


We would only be aware of the universe in which we saw heads, but the universe in which we saw tails would still exist.


The same principle would apply to the exchange between Anscombe and Wittgenstein. 


If the Earth were turned on its axis, we would only experience it as rotating in one direction.


However, in the Everette formulation, there would be an infinite number of universes, each with the Earth rotating in a different direction. 


We would only be aware of the universe in which we see the Earth rotating in the direction that we are accustomed to, but the other universes would still exist.


It is a fascinating and thought-provoking way to think about the nature of reality.


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