A note on "The dilemma of quantum mechanics"

Angelo Bassi

David H. Jennings, Terry Rudolph

Recently, a substantial amount of debate has grown up around a proposed quantum resolution to the `arrow of time dilemma' that is based on the role of classical memory records of entropy-decreasing events. In this note we show that the argument is incomplete and furthermore, by providing a counter-example, argue that it is incorrect. Instead of quantum mechanics providing a resolution in the manner suggested, it allows enhanced classical memory records of entropy-decreasing events.

William Clemard Wineland

Nancy Delaney Cartwright

Bas van Fraassen in [4] has recently tried to use modal logic to solve the measurement problem of quantum mechanics. His model is based on a method of expressing quantum states developed by Hugh Everett [1] called the “relative state formulation.” Unfortunately, Everett's mathematics cannot be generalized as van Fraassen requires. The difficulty itself is elementary enough. But a revision of van Fraassen's postulates (such as the one he adopted on p. 341 after he had been told of the problem) can save the mathematics only on pain of making the whole study irrelevant to the physics. I shall explain the dilemma in this note. In a later paper [5], van Fraassen avoids this dilemma by developing an abstract modal interpretation which does not rely on any expression for quantum states.

G. Feild

Ingvar Lindgren

, which when treatedquantum-mechanically according to CI can be in a superposition of a dead and an alive state, untilsomeone opens the lid and makes an inspection.It should be noted that the dilemma with Schr˜odinger’s cat can partly be remedied by observing thata measurement in the CI sense does not have to registered by a conscious mind. It is not even necessaryto perform the measurement in order to obtain a reduction of the wave function|