Re: Quantum Weirdness

From: Marc Geddes (marc_geddes@yahoo.co.nz)
Date: Sun Dec 12 2004 - 20:08:28 MST


 --- "Mark Waser (home)" <mwaser@cox.net> wrote:

> Not true. The many-worlds interpretation states
> that the waveform collapses
> upon observation and, at that point, splits into a
> different world for each
> possible observation. If many-worlds were true, it
> should not be possible
> to observe simultaneously wave and particle behavior
> since by the time you
> observe particle behavior, the waveform has
> collapsed. Recently, I read an
> article (which, unfortunately, I can't track down at
> the moment) where
> someone claimed to have devised and performed an
> experiment (single-photon,
> I believe) where he was able to simultaneously see
> wave and particle
> behavior. If true, this would clearly disprove the
> many-worlds
> interpretation without, to my knowledge, calling
> anything else in quantum
> physics into question.
>

Are you sure this is right? I would have thought that
if MWI were true, you SHOULD be able to observe wave
and particle aspects at the same time. According to
MWI there is no 'wave function collapse'. The wave
aspect is referring to a global property of the
multiverse, the particle aspect is referring to an
individual time track. So there is no reason why in
principle we shouldn't we able to observe the particle
at all times, yet still have that particle 'buffered'
by ghost particles from the alternative time tracks
(the wave aspect).

The Afshar experiment if confirmed would definitely
disprove the 'Copenhagen Interpretatin'. But I don't
see why it would disprove MWI.

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