Quantum Theory and Consciousness

My take on quantum theory and consciousness:

There is more to physics than what is observed. Observation requires a perception. Perception is clouded by pre-conceived dualities.

Alive or dead is one such duality.

The cat:
Does the cat exist in both states? It never does. Once the appropriate chemical reactions occur the cat changes states. The only question is "When?" Time also requires observation. Because of this lack of observation we cannot say with certainty when the cat changed states.

Because of this uncertainty we cannot say which state the cat exists in until it is observed. It is possible that the appropriate chemical reactions never occured. It is possible that the appropriate chemical reactions did occur.

Our minds work on contrasts, self-created dualities. Someone wants to know if the cat is alive or dead (a duality). When duality is met with our inability to observe we are left with uncertainty. In order to be certain, we must remove the duality, thus the cat is both alive and dead.


Recently my son's teacher posed the following:
Take a half glass of water. Is the glass half full or half empty?

The teacher told my son that it is both half full and half empty. Depending on how it is observed it can be either half full or half empty.

I shook my head and simply asked my son, "What else is in the glass?"


Understanding reality with certainty requires the recognition of unnecessary dualities.

Ockham's Razor: entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily





[edit on 1-10-2004 by Raphael_UO]

Originally posted by slank
.
So observation causes a convergence to a single state from a source of divergent states.

Is there a limited array of possible outcomes? [a short list, as opposed to an infinite set of possibilities]
.

Observation causes one reality to emerge. This is where quantum theory leaves the lab and enters into the realm of philosophy as Indigo_Child and Raphael_UO have commented on.

As for possible outcomes, the Multiple Worlds Interpretation posits that every quantum state is actualized and then branches off into its own universe and so on and so on, so we have an infinite number of universes where everything that can happen does.

Thats one of the things I find fascinating about the topic as it melds philosophy with science and no one can prove they are right.

[edit on 5-10-2004 by deevee]