Quantum mechanics and neuroscience come together in the problem of observation. Quantum mechanics is a nonlocal theory but the expectations of our cognitive systems are local. The principle of veiled nonlocality appears to direct not only logic and design of experiments but also the manner in which experimental data is analyzed. The principle preserves the naive classical view of the universe that is consistent with locally realistic models; it also sees underlying similitude between biological and physical processes. One idea belonging to the set of similitudes is that of quantum Darwinism according to which stable states proliferate in an interaction between quantum systems in analogy with the survival of the fittest of biological evolution. This idea is investigated.
Quantum mechanics and neuroscience come together in the problem of observation. Quantum mechanics is a nonlocal theory but the expectations of our cognitive systems are local. The principle of veiled nonlocality appears to direct not only logic and design of experiments but also the manner in which experimental data is analyzed. The principle preserves the naive classical view of the universe that is consistent with locally realistic models; it also sees underlying similitude between biological and physical processes. One idea belonging to the set of similitudes is that of quantum Darwinism according to which stable states proliferate in an interaction between quantum systems in analogy with the survival of the fittest of biological evolution. This idea is investigated.
Our sense of reality is different from its mathematical basis as given by physical theories. Although nature at its deepest level is quantum mechanical and nonlocal, it appears to our minds in everyday experience as local and classical. Since the same laws should govern all phenomena, we propose this difference in the nature of perceived reality is due to the principle of veiled nonlocality that is associated with consciousness. Veiled nonlocality allows consciousness to operate and present what we experience as objective reality. In other words, this principle allows us to consider consciousness indirectly, in terms of how consciousness operates. We consider different theoretical models commonly used in physics and neuroscience to describe veiled nonlocality. Furthermore, if consciousness as an entity leaves a physical trace, then laboratory searches for such a trace should be sought for in nonlocality, where probabilities do not conform to local expectations.
According to the no-signaling theorem, the nonlocal collapse of the wavefunction of an entangled particle by the measurement on its twin particle at a remote location cannot be used to send useful information. Given that experiments on nonlocal correlations continue to have loopholes, we propose a stronger principle that the nonlocality of quantum mechanics itself is veiled. In practical terms, decoherence and noise compels us to view the wavefunction as representing knowledge of potential outcomes rather than the reality. Experimental evidence in favor of naked nonlocality would support the view of the wavefunction as an objective description of physical reality.
The premise that consciousness has a quantum mechanical basis or correlate implies that its workings have a nonlocal component. To check whether consciousness as an entity leaves a physical trace, we propose that laboratory searches for such a trace should be for nonlocality, where probabilities do not conform to local expectations. Starting with the idea that nonlocality may be veiled as one of the ways cosmic censorship operates, we further argue that in order to preserve the ordinary objective reality described by local realism and general relativity, veiled nonlocality and cosmic censorship are indispensable operational aspects of the interactions of observers with physical systems. Nevertheless, it may be possible to indirectly detect traces of nonlocality in experiments where humans and other sentient subjects are involved
∙ Quanta Magazine analyzes the principles of macroscopic world formation through quantum decoherence and quantum Darwinism. ∙ 'Einselection' fixes specific quantum states… similar to how life preserves information. ∙ Integrating quantum biology from physical and philosophical perspectives, redefining the fundamental principles of life's information processing. [Quantum Biology Society] An in-depth analysis has been proposed on how the bizarre phenomena of quantum mechanics transform into the solid macroscopic reality we observe, and what connection this process has with the evolution of life. Recently, the science media outlet Quanta Magazine reported through a contribution by renowned science writer Philip Ball that the theories of 'Quantum Darwinism' and 'Decoherence,' pioneered by physicist Wojciech Zurek, are the key to connecting biological systems with the macroscopic world. ■ The Reality of 'Survival of the Fittest' Created by 'Einselection' In the quantum realm, particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously (superposition), but in the macroscopic world we observe, they appear in only one definite state. According to Dr. Zurek's theory, this happens because quantum systems continuously interact with their surrounding environment, undergoing a process of 'decoherence' where information is dissipated. The core of this process is 'Einselection' (Environment-Induced Superselection). The environment does not accommodate all states; instead, it selects only the most stable and predictable states, known as 'pointer states,' and replicates them innumerably within the environment. Just as only the genetic information advantageous for survival is passed on and spreads in natural selection, the essence of 'Quantum Darwinism' is that quantum information also undergoes a 'survival of the fittest' process dictated by the environment. This ultimately forms an objective macroscopic reality that all of us can commonly perceive. ■ Life, a Product of Evolution that Anchors Quantum Information into Reality Philip Ball noted that these physical principles are strikingly similar to the way biological systems process information. He explains that the vital activities of living organisms—such as recognizing external stimuli, preserving genetic information, and controlling complex metabolic processes—are fundamentally the very processes of filtering meaningful information from quantum superpositions and anchoring them into the physical states of the real world. This report suggests that quantum biology is not merely a discipline that investigates microscopic reactions within cells. Rather, it is a grand unified theory explaining how life has utilized the universe's fundamental principles to process information and evolve. Built upon the theories of Dr. Zurek, a master of modern physics, this analysis presents a new philosophical and physical paradigm that views life as a cosmic entity where matter, information, and quantum mechanics are perfectly integrated.
Introduction Quantum measurement problem is a technical euphemism for a much deeper and less well-defined question: How do we, “the observers,” fit within the physical universe? The problem is especially apparent in quantum physics because, for the first time in the history of science a majority of (but not all) physicists seriously entertains the possibility that the framework for the ultimate universal physical theory provided by quantum mechanics is here to stay. Quantum physics relevant for this discussion is (contrary to the common prejudice) relatively simple. By this I mean that some of the key features of its predictions can be arrived at on the basis of overarching principles of quantum theory and without reference to the minutiae of other specific ingredients (such as the details of the forces). Quantum superposition principle is such an overarching principle of quantum theory. It leads to predictions that seem difficult to reconcile with our perception of the familiar classical universe of everyday experience. The aim of this paper is to show that appearance of the classical reality can be viewed as a result of the emergence of the preferred states from within the quantum substrate through the Darwinian paradigm, once the survival of the fittest quantum states and selective proliferation of the information about them throughout the universe are properly taken into account.
The article aims to discuss the problem of applicability of quantum-mechanical concepts to the analysis of the mechanisms of brain and the nature of consciousness. Are these tools sufficient and adequate to solve this problem? We claim that despite numerous attempts made in this direction it is difficult to speak about any significant progress. Although the intersection and active interaction between quantum theory and neuroscience forms a kind of “zone of exchange”, allowing us to claim the formation of “quantum neurophysics”, physicalism and reductionism, actually imposed by quantum mechanics, allow us to discuss the nonlocality of neural networks only by analogy with quantum nonlocality. This discussion actually do not touch the underlying machinery of the functionality of these networks, including the processes of their synchronization. Although J. Fodor’s concept of modularity in the context of holism philosophy and ideas of biocultural co-constructivism lead to the idea that it is possible to apply N. Bohr’s complementarity to comprehension of brain functions, but in reality the presence of quantum effects at the level of brain as an integral system is not so obvious. The expression of thought in a word, which means the transformation of a continuous spectrum into a discrete one, only superficially resembles the process of wave function reduction. We can conclude that the boundaries of applicability of quantum-mechanical representations pass through the conceptual space, which does not capture to advance extent the essential features of neither brain, nor consciousness.