On the Possibility That the Present Quantum State of the Universe is the Vacuum
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1988:127 - 133 (1988)
| Abstract | It is inquired how much an observer can ascertain of the quantum state of a system of which he and his measuring apparatus form a part; how much, for example, observers like ourselves can ascertain of the quantum state of the Universe. It turns out that no practicable experiment (and: perhaps, no experiment whatever) can establish that that state is not the vacuum. Some of the implications of this curious result are discussed. | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | No categories specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,705 |
| External links |
 |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesMario Bacelar Valente (2011). A Case for an Empirically Demonstrable Notion of the Vacuum in Quantum Electrodynamics Independent of Dynamical Fluctuations. Journal for General Philosophy of Science 42 (2):241-261.
Michael Redhead (1994). The Vacuum in Relativistic Quantum Field Theory. PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1994:77 - 87.
L. Boi (2011). The Quantum Vacuum: A Scientific and Philosophical Concept, From Electrodynamics to String Theory and the Geometry of the Microscopic World. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Jan M. Greben (forthcoming). The Role of Energy Conservation and Vacuum Energy in the Evolution of the Universe. Foundations of Science.
Quentin Smith (1988). The Uncaused Beginning of the Universe. Philosophy of Science 55 (1):39-57.
Shan Gao (2008). A Quantum Theory of Consciousness. Minds and Machines 18 (1).
Robert F. Bordley & Joseph B. Kadane (1999). Experiment-Dependent Priors in Psychology and Physics. Theory and Decision 47 (3):213-227.
Thomas Breuer (1996). Subjective Decoherence in Quantum Measurements. Synthese 107 (1):1 - 17.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2011-05-29Total downloads12 ( #93,438 of 549,171 )Recent downloads (6 months)1 ( #63,397 of 549,171 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
