Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Prespacetime journal

Double Slit Experiment in Time Domain from the TGD Perspective

Matti Pitkänen

Published Dec 17, 2023• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

The temporal analog of the double slit experiment carried out by a research team led by Riccardo Sapienza has gained a lot of attention. The experiment is a generalization of the regular double slit experiment to the time domain. The results of the experiment challenge the existing views of quantum physics and it is interesting to see whether the zero energy ontology (ZEO) to which TGD inspired quantum measurement theory is based, could provide new insights about the experiment. The basic outcome of the considerations is that at least at the level of principle it is possible to determine the classical EM fields in the geometric past after a pair of "big" state functions, which are the TGD counterparts of ordinary state function reductions and change the arrow of geometric time. Violations of classical causality based on finite signal velocity would serve as a support for the ZEO.

Related papers

Retrocausality & TGD

Matti Pitkänen

This article is inspired by the article "Is a time symmetric interpretation of quantum theory possible without retrocausality?" of Leifer and Pusey related to the notion of retrocausality. Retrocausality means the possibility of causal influences propagating in non-standard time direction. The conjecture is that retrocausality could allow wave functions to be real and allow to get rid of the problematic notion of state function reduction. TGD leads to a new view about reality of wave function solving the basic problem of quantum measurement theory. In ZEO quantum states are replaced by zero energy states analogous to pairs of initial and final states in ordinary positive energy ontology and can be regarded as superpositions of classical deterministic time evolutions. The sequence of state function reductions means a sequence of re-creations of the superpositions of classical realities identified as space-time surfaces. The TGD based view about scattering amplitudes has rather concrete connection with the view of Cramer as I interpret it. There is however no attempt to reduce quantum theory to a purely classical theory. The notion of the "world of classical worlds" (WCW) consisting of classical realities identified as space-time surfaces replaces space-time as a fixed observer independent reality in TGD. Retrocausality is basic aspect of TGD. Zero Energy Ontology (ZEO) predicts that both arrows of time are possible. In this sense TGD is time symmetric. On the other hand, twistor lift of TGD predicts a violation of time reflection T and this might imply that second arrow of causality dominates in some sense. The ZEO based view about state function reduction essential for TGD inspired theory of consciousness and implying generalized Zeno effect giving rise to conscious entities - "selves" - is also essential. One might say that when conscious entity dies it re-incarnates as time-reversed self.

Prespacetime journal•Sep 5, 2017•0 citations

Quantum Measurement & Quantum Computation in TGD Universe

Matti Pitkänen

For years I have been thinking about how quantum computation could be carried out in TGD Universe. There are considerable deviations from the standard view. Zero Energy Ontology (ZEO), weak form of NMP dictating the dynamics of state function reduction, negentropic entanglement (NE), and hierarchy of Planck constants define the basic differences between TGD based and standard quantum measurement theory. TGD suggests also the importance of topological quantum computation (TQC) like processes with braids represented as magnetic flux tubes/strings along them. The natural question that popped in my mind was how NMP and Zero Energy Ontology (ZEO) could affect the existing view about TQC. The outcome was a more precise view about TQC. The basic observation is that the phase transition to dark matter phase reduces dramatically the noise affecting quantum quits. This together with robustness of braiding as TQC program raises excellent hopes about TQC in TGD Universe. The restriction to negentropic space-like entanglement (NE) defined by a unitary matrix is something new but does not seem to have any fatal consequences as the study of Shor's algorithm shows.

Prespacetime journal•Sep 8, 2015•0 citations

Zero Energy Ontology & Consciousness

Matti Pitkanen

Zero energy ontology (ZEO) lies behind TGD based quantum measurement theory in turn giving rise to a theory of consciousness by making observed part of system as a conscious entity - self. ZEO solves the basic paradox of quantum measurement theory forcing to give up ontology altogether in the Copenhagen interpretation. ZEO has become a key aspect of the entire TGD based physics. In this article I will consider more precise mathematical formulation and physical interpretation of ZEO. ZEO forms also the cornerstone of TGD inspired theory of consciousness and quantum biology and I will consider also some related aspects of ZEO such as the notions of free will and intentionality, the notions of memory and precognition as its time reversal, intuitive in contrast to formal reasoning, and remote metabolism as a universal thermodynamical mechanism of metabolism in ZEO based thermodynamics.

Journal of consciousness exploration & research•Jan 18, 2020•0 citations

Tesla still inspires

Matti Pitkänen

Tesla's work still inspires researchers ready to challenge prevailing dogmas. Over-unity energy production has been repeatedly claimed by free energy researchers to occur in some systems. Zero energy ontology (ZEO) allows to solves the basic paradox of quantum measurement theory in TGD framework and leads to a theory of consciousness. In ZEO classical energy is conserved exactly but at quantal level lack of compete temporal de-localization makes non-conservation possible, and ZEO indeed could explain over-unity effects. ZEO allows both directions of time, and this leads also a universal mechanism of error correction in quantum computation: one can say that Nature does it itself. Applications to biology are particularly interesting.

•Jan 1, 2019•1 citation

The Quantum Time-Machine Paradox:Testing the Frame-Recording Ontology in a Double-Slit Experiment

Okupski Arkadiusz

This paper presents a foundational thought experiment and proposes a radical ontological framework for interpreting quantum mechanics and the nature of time. It moves beyond conventional interpretations by testing them against a novel scenario: a hypothetical "time machine" (device 𝒲) capable of passively reading the past state of a quantum system without interacting with it. The central testbed is the classic double-slit experiment. In Stage 1, performed at time T_0, the experiment is run without any path detection, yielding the standard interference pattern. In Stage 2, at a later time T_0 + ΔT, the device 𝒲 is used to retroactively "read" the precise state of the system at the moment the electron passed the slit plane. The pivotal question is: What information about the electron's path will 𝒲 find? The analysis demonstrates that established interpretations face significant paradoxes: The Copenhagen Interpretation risks falling into retrocausality, as the mere potential for future path-information readout could retroactively collapse the interference pattern. The Many-Worlds Interpretation leads to internal inconsistency, as the deterministic, single-path history observed within a given branch by 𝒲 contradicts the interference pattern observed in that same branch's past. The de Broglie-Bohm (dBB) Interpretation, while positing a hidden trajectory, struggles with the mechanism of how 𝒲 could read this information without interacting with the guiding pilot wave, which is essential for the interference effect. As a resolution, the paper proposes a new ontological model based on a geometric, discrete conception of reality. The core tenets are: Fundamental Entities: Reality is a dynamic network of "p-gluons," postulated as geometric quanta of spacetime. Discrete Frames: Observable reality is not continuous but consists of a sequential generation of discrete, global "frames" (K_i). Each frame is a complete geometric snapshot of the entire p-gluon network's configuration. The Axiom of Record Economy (AOZ): This is the central formal postulate. At each generative step, at most one frame from the space of locally possible states (ℋ_poss) is physically realized. A frame is generated if and only if it satisfies a condition of global consistency with the entire history, as determined by a fundamental "algorithm of reality" (𝒜). Crucially, states in ℋ_poss that are not selected for generation attain no ontological status whatsoever; they are abstract possibilities, not unrecorded facts. Emergent Time: Observable time is not a fundamental background parameter but an emergent measure of the rate (Ḳ) at which these global frames are generated. Within this Frame-Recording Ontology, the time-machine paradox finds an elegant and decisive solution: In the double-slit experiment without a detector, the only configuration consistent (via algorithm 𝒜) with the future observation of an interference pattern is a global superposed state. This state, describable as an extended pattern of geometric correlations in the p-gluon network encompassing both slits, is the one and only frame generated (K_T0). Deterministic "path" frames (electron at S_1 or S_2) are not generated; they remain unrealized abstractions. Therefore, when device 𝒲 reads the past, it accesses the sole ontological record: frame K_T0. It finds no geometric data corresponding to a classical path because such data was never physically recorded. The answer is not "the information is hidden" (epistemology), but "the corresponding fact was never generated" (ontology). The paper elaborates on the non-anthropomorphic, non-teleological nature of algorithm 𝒜, framing it as a constraining structure akin to a variational principle rather than a conscious selector. It discusses the model's implications for the measurement problem (reinterpreted as the generation of a "classical" frame), nonlocality, and its philosophical shift from epistemic to ontological indeterminacy. Methodology: The work is developed using the author's "Pencil Case Philosophy" or "Sonar Modeling" approach. This methodology begins by constructing minimal axiomatic building blocks (p-gluons, AOZ, 𝒜), activates the system, and rigorously traces its logical consequences without prior commitment to reproducing existing theoretical frameworks.

•Jan 2, 2026•0 citations

A Singularity-Based Ontological Interpretation of the Double-Slit Experiment

ingle

This project proposes an alternative ontological interpretation of the double-slit experiment, arguing that photons exist in a singularity-like wave state prior to interaction. The transition to particle behavior occurs not through measurement, but due to physical conditions such as energy attenuation or medium traversal. This theory offers testable predictions via a modified double-slit setup, challenging the standard observer-centric interpretations of quantum mechanics.

•Jun 2, 2025•0 citations
The temporal analog of the double slit experiment carried out by a research team led by Riccardo Sapienza has gained a lot of attention. The experiment is a generalization of the regular double slit experiment to the time domain. The results of the experiment challenge the existing views of quantum physics and it is interesting to see whether the zero energy ontology (ZEO) to which TGD inspired quantum measurement theory is based, could provide new insights about the experiment. The basic outcome of the considerations is that at least at the level of principle it is possible to determine the classical EM fields in the geometric past after a pair of "big" state functions, which are the TGD counterparts of ordinary state function reductions and change the arrow of geometric time. Violations of classical causality based on finite signal velocity would serve as a support for the ZEO.
This article is inspired by the article "Is a time symmetric interpretation of quantum theory possible without retrocausality?" of Leifer and Pusey related to the notion of retrocausality. Retrocausality means the possibility of causal influences propagating in non-standard time direction. The conjecture is that retrocausality could allow wave functions to be real and allow to get rid of the problematic notion of state function reduction. TGD leads to a new view about reality of wave function solving the basic problem of quantum measurement theory. In ZEO quantum states are replaced by zero energy states analogous to pairs of initial and final states in ordinary positive energy ontology and can be regarded as superpositions of classical deterministic time evolutions. The sequence of state function reductions means a sequence of re-creations of the superpositions of classical realities identified as space-time surfaces. The TGD based view about scattering amplitudes has rather concrete connection with the view of Cramer as I interpret it. There is however no attempt to reduce quantum theory to a purely classical theory. The notion of the "world of classical worlds" (WCW) consisting of classical realities identified as space-time surfaces replaces space-time as a fixed observer independent reality in TGD. Retrocausality is basic aspect of TGD. Zero Energy Ontology (ZEO) predicts that both arrows of time are possible. In this sense TGD is time symmetric. On the other hand, twistor lift of TGD predicts a violation of time reflection T and this might imply that second arrow of causality dominates in some sense. The ZEO based view about state function reduction essential for TGD inspired theory of consciousness and implying generalized Zeno effect giving rise to conscious entities - "selves" - is also essential. One might say that when conscious entity dies it re-incarnates as time-reversed self.
For years I have been thinking about how quantum computation could be carried out in TGD Universe. There are considerable deviations from the standard view. Zero Energy Ontology (ZEO), weak form of NMP dictating the dynamics of state function reduction, negentropic entanglement (NE), and hierarchy of Planck constants define the basic differences between TGD based and standard quantum measurement theory. TGD suggests also the importance of topological quantum computation (TQC) like processes with braids represented as magnetic flux tubes/strings along them. The natural question that popped in my mind was how NMP and Zero Energy Ontology (ZEO) could affect the existing view about TQC. The outcome was a more precise view about TQC. The basic observation is that the phase transition to dark matter phase reduces dramatically the noise affecting quantum quits. This together with robustness of braiding as TQC program raises excellent hopes about TQC in TGD Universe. The restriction to negentropic space-like entanglement (NE) defined by a unitary matrix is something new but does not seem to have any fatal consequences as the study of Shor's algorithm shows.
Zero energy ontology (ZEO) lies behind TGD based quantum measurement theory in turn giving rise to a theory of consciousness by making observed part of system as a conscious entity - self. ZEO solves the basic paradox of quantum measurement theory forcing to give up ontology altogether in the Copenhagen interpretation. ZEO has become a key aspect of the entire TGD based physics. In this article I will consider more precise mathematical formulation and physical interpretation of ZEO. ZEO forms also the cornerstone of TGD inspired theory of consciousness and quantum biology and I will consider also some related aspects of ZEO such as the notions of free will and intentionality, the notions of memory and precognition as its time reversal, intuitive in contrast to formal reasoning, and remote metabolism as a universal thermodynamical mechanism of metabolism in ZEO based thermodynamics.
Tesla's work still inspires researchers ready to challenge prevailing dogmas. Over-unity energy production has been repeatedly claimed by free energy researchers to occur in some systems. Zero energy ontology (ZEO) allows to solves the basic paradox of quantum measurement theory in TGD framework and leads to a theory of consciousness. In ZEO classical energy is conserved exactly but at quantal level lack of compete temporal de-localization makes non-conservation possible, and ZEO indeed could explain over-unity effects. ZEO allows both directions of time, and this leads also a universal mechanism of error correction in quantum computation: one can say that Nature does it itself. Applications to biology are particularly interesting.
This paper presents a foundational thought experiment and proposes a radical ontological framework for interpreting quantum mechanics and the nature of time. It moves beyond conventional interpretations by testing them against a novel scenario: a hypothetical "time machine" (device 𝒲) capable of passively reading the past state of a quantum system without interacting with it. The central testbed is the classic double-slit experiment. In Stage 1, performed at time T_0, the experiment is run without any path detection, yielding the standard interference pattern. In Stage 2, at a later time T_0 + ΔT, the device 𝒲 is used to retroactively "read" the precise state of the system at the moment the electron passed the slit plane. The pivotal question is: What information about the electron's path will 𝒲 find? The analysis demonstrates that established interpretations face significant paradoxes: The Copenhagen Interpretation risks falling into retrocausality, as the mere potential for future path-information readout could retroactively collapse the interference pattern. The Many-Worlds Interpretation leads to internal inconsistency, as the deterministic, single-path history observed within a given branch by 𝒲 contradicts the interference pattern observed in that same branch's past. The de Broglie-Bohm (dBB) Interpretation, while positing a hidden trajectory, struggles with the mechanism of how 𝒲 could read this information without interacting with the guiding pilot wave, which is essential for the interference effect. As a resolution, the paper proposes a new ontological model based on a geometric, discrete conception of reality. The core tenets are: Fundamental Entities: Reality is a dynamic network of "p-gluons," postulated as geometric quanta of spacetime. Discrete Frames: Observable reality is not continuous but consists of a sequential generation of discrete, global "frames" (K_i). Each frame is a complete geometric snapshot of the entire p-gluon network's configuration. The Axiom of Record Economy (AOZ): This is the central formal postulate. At each generative step, at most one frame from the space of locally possible states (ℋ_poss) is physically realized. A frame is generated if and only if it satisfies a condition of global consistency with the entire history, as determined by a fundamental "algorithm of reality" (𝒜). Crucially, states in ℋ_poss that are not selected for generation attain no ontological status whatsoever; they are abstract possibilities, not unrecorded facts. Emergent Time: Observable time is not a fundamental background parameter but an emergent measure of the rate (Ḳ) at which these global frames are generated. Within this Frame-Recording Ontology, the time-machine paradox finds an elegant and decisive solution: In the double-slit experiment without a detector, the only configuration consistent (via algorithm 𝒜) with the future observation of an interference pattern is a global superposed state. This state, describable as an extended pattern of geometric correlations in the p-gluon network encompassing both slits, is the one and only frame generated (K_T0). Deterministic "path" frames (electron at S_1 or S_2) are not generated; they remain unrealized abstractions. Therefore, when device 𝒲 reads the past, it accesses the sole ontological record: frame K_T0. It finds no geometric data corresponding to a classical path because such data was never physically recorded. The answer is not "the information is hidden" (epistemology), but "the corresponding fact was never generated" (ontology). The paper elaborates on the non-anthropomorphic, non-teleological nature of algorithm 𝒜, framing it as a constraining structure akin to a variational principle rather than a conscious selector. It discusses the model's implications for the measurement problem (reinterpreted as the generation of a "classical" frame), nonlocality, and its philosophical shift from epistemic to ontological indeterminacy. Methodology: The work is developed using the author's "Pencil Case Philosophy" or "Sonar Modeling" approach. This methodology begins by constructing minimal axiomatic building blocks (p-gluons, AOZ, 𝒜), activates the system, and rigorously traces its logical consequences without prior commitment to reproducing existing theoretical frameworks.