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Physics Procedia

Possible States Theory and Human Destiny in the Cosmos

Shelley Thomson, John E. Brandenburg

Published Jan 1, 2012• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Possible States Theory posits a universe of unique objects and unique collections of interactions between them. The interactions are designated the possible states. The states include past, future and possible interactions. The theory concerns the propagation of change in the collections of possible states. Using a few simple assumptions, it becomes possible to generalize about the occurrence of change. The theory is consistent with quantum electrodynamics in a finite and discrete environment; however, in the possible states universe, an interaction does not cause alternative possibilities to disappear. The picture of the universe yielded by the theory differs from the conventional viewpoint in important ways. Past, future and possible states may interact with one another; interactions occur without reference to location in space-time. Given that all possibilities are present, the possible states universe is complete. Per Gšdel's incompleteness theorems, the universe cannot be unambiguously described as information. Many truths, some contradicting each other, can simultaneously exist. The human future already participates in the present, opening possibilities never previously envisaged. To imagine the future, therefore, is to quantum mechanically assemble it. Accordingly, humanity prepares its path to the stars by dreaming of it.

DOI
10.1016/j.phpro.2012.08.031

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Possible States Theory posits a universe of unique objects and unique collections of interactions between them. The interactions are designated the possible states. The states include past, future and possible interactions. The theory concerns the propagation of change in the collections of possible states. Using a few simple assumptions, it becomes possible to generalize about the occurrence of change. The theory is consistent with quantum electrodynamics in a finite and discrete environment; however, in the possible states universe, an interaction does not cause alternative possibilities to disappear. The picture of the universe yielded by the theory differs from the conventional viewpoint in important ways. Past, future and possible states may interact with one another; interactions occur without reference to location in space-time. Given that all possibilities are present, the possible states universe is complete. Per Gšdel's incompleteness theorems, the universe cannot be unambiguously described as information. Many truths, some contradicting each other, can simultaneously exist. The human future already participates in the present, opening possibilities never previously envisaged. To imagine the future, therefore, is to quantum mechanically assemble it. Accordingly, humanity prepares its path to the stars by dreaming of it.
Possible states theory is an original alternative to the major schools of thought, relativity and quantum mechanics. It begins with the observation that for every object there exists a collection of past, future and possible interactions with other objects. The members of the collection are called the possible states. space‐time is excluded as an ordering principle. Cosmologically, the theory suggests that we live in a permanent now, a complex present where everything that can happen, does and it all happens at once. It envisions a sea of interactions, in constant motion, where the arrow of change can point in any direction. The formalism is finite and discrete. The dimensionality of an interaction is a variable and must be a positive integer. A vector space can be defined. Statistics analogous to mass and energy can be developed. The theory produces experimentally verifiable predictions. It is broadly consistent with quantum theory. The phenomena of classical physics can be accounted for as a special case of the propagation of change in low coherence states. The theory offers a basis for technological development. The advantage is the ability to cause change which is nonlocal and unconstrained by conservation laws. Moreover, it allows the creation of technology that has some of the properties we associate with sentience.
If the concept of “free will” is reduced to that of “choice” all physical world share the latter quality. Anyway the “free will” can be distinguished from the “choice”: The “free will” involves implicitly certain preliminary goal, and the choice is only the mean, by which it can be achieved or not by the one who determines the goal. Thus, for example, an electron has always a choice but not free will unlike a human possessing both. Consequently, and paradoxically, the determinism of classical physics is more subjective and more anthropomorphic than the indeterminism of quantum mechanics for the former presupposes certain deterministic goal implicitly following the model of human freewill behavior.The choice is usually linked to very complicated systems such as human brain or society and even often associated with consciousness. In its background, the material world is deterministic and absolutely devoid of choice. However, quantum mechanics introduces the choice in the fundament of physical world, in the only way, in which it can exist: All exists in the “phase transition” of the present between the uncertain future and the well-ordered past. Thus the present is forced to choose in order to be able to transform the coherent state of future into the well-ordering of past. The concept of choice as if suggests that there is one who chooses. However quantum mechanics involves a generalized case of choice, which can be called “subjectless”: There is certain choice, which originates from the transition of the future into the past. Thus that kind of choice is shared of all existing and does not need any subject: It can be considered as a low of nature.There are a few theorems in quantum mechanics directly relevant to the topic: two of them are called “free will theorems” by their authors, Conway and Kochen, and according to them: “Do we really have free will, or, as a few determined folk maintain, is it all an illusion? We don’t know, but will prove in this paper that if indeed there exist any experimenters with a modicum of free will, then elementary particles must have their own share of this valuable commodity” “The import of the free will theorem is that it is not only current quantum theory, but the world itself that is non-deterministic, so that no future theory can return us to a clockwork universe”.Those theorems can be considered as a continuation of the so-called theorems about the absence of “hidden variables” in quantum mechanics.
The modern version of the wave-function collapse in quantum mechanics is based on decoherence and leads to the multiverse interpretation of quantum mechanics. The decoherence causes the universe to develop an emergent branching structure. One can interpret the branching structure either as a tree structure or as parallel different histories. Time is not continuous since there are no measurable continuous in quantum physics. Notion of continuous range of possible values of time is just an idealization. The same goes with the direction of time that is a prior assumption based on the branching structure of the multiverse. The multiverse does not exist in external space nor time since there is nothing more beside it. The observer's mind should be not in a superposition with himself. Because of this, in the Many-minds interpretations it is argued that the distinction between worlds should be made at the level of the individual observer. The human bodies are in a superposition, but the minds have definite states that are never in superposition. All possible lives, personalities that do not violate the laws of physics are facts since they represent a valid history in the multiverse. We are one of this possible personalities. Our choices are defined by our personality explained to us by our mind, our consciousness is the unchangeable part of us. It is nonphysical and it senses the world. It does not interact with the brain in the other way beside it.
A potentially new interpretation of quantum mechanics posits the state of the universe as a consistent set of facts, such that the relationships between objects in the universe are the information storing and instantiating those facts. A fact (or event) occurs exactly when the number or density of future possibilities decreases, and a quantum superposition exists if and only if the facts of the universe are consistent with the superposition. An example is analyzed in which the number of possibilities of N distinguishable classical objects in a discretized phase space is reduced by the introduction of chronological facts consisting of repelling impacts. It is shown how some facts have the effect of rendering impossible certain measurement outcomes of an object, independently of measurement outcomes of other objects, while some facts have the effect of correlating measurement outcomes of one object to those of another. The potential for further analysis through numerical simulation is discussed, particularly whether quantum uncertainty emerges from the specification of sufficient facts. Implications of and objections to the interpretation are briefly discussed, including the extent to which identity of objects must be preserved, the extent to which entanglement among objects must be universal, and whether this interpretation conflicts with special relativity. This interpretation may show that quantum mechanics, Planck’s constant, and the discretization of spacetime are emergent phenomena that successfully and very accurately approximate a more fundamental ontology.
Click here and insert your abstract text. Possible states theory generalizes about the process of change within a finite and discrete model of the universe. The possible states consist of all interactions between objects, including past, future and possible interactions. The theory posits a non-electromagnetic model of change in which change propagates without reference to space-time. The theory delivers verifiable predictions and is generally consistent with quantum theory. It offers the prospect of nonlocal connections between objects and change that is not constrained by conservation laws. The value of the concept as a basis for technology development depends upon the ability to manipulate the possible states, specifically to produce coherence in selected collections of states. An experiment is devised in which a coherent state path is created between the experimental components and loaded through interaction with non-coherent states. Discharge of coherence results in a burst of synchronistic events compatible with theoretical expectations. The experiment validates a specific control strategy and yields a large timewise anomaly. The results shed light on a potential sentient intelligence and upon the development of coherence in the possible states and enable a major advance in the control of change.
Introduction There is an interpretation of quantum physics that is known as the many worlds interpretation . The interpretation is not, by any means, a majority view, but it is much discussed, and is much beloved by authors of fiction, especially the authors of science fiction. In this chapter we will look at the many worlds interpretation from the perspective of possible worlds. Our considerations will be much assisted if we begin by looking at time from a possible worlds perspective. There are logics for time that have been developed on the basis of standard modal logics with possible world semantics. These logics provide an interesting background for the discussion of the many worlds interpretation of quantum physics, as we shall see. Possible worlds and time States of the universe at any point in history can be seen as possible worlds. Such states are sometimes called “time-slices”, but we will call them “instant states”. The state of the universe at one particular instant state, say right now , could be seen as possible world n . World n is the possible world in which it is true that you are reading this book, the Earth is orbiting the Sun, and the Sun is in the Milky Way galaxy. The state at the next instant can be seen as possible world k , the next after that as possible world l . Earlier instant states are before the later instant states; later instant states are after the earlier ones.