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)
  Copy   BIBTEX

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.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,221

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

A Case for an Empirically Demonstrable Notion of the Vacuum in Quantum Electrodynamics Independent of Dynamical Fluctuations.Mario Bacelar Valente - 2011 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 42 (2):241-261.
The Vacuum in Relativistic Quantum Field Theory.Michael Redhead - 1994 - PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1994:77 - 87.
The uncaused beginning of the universe.Quentin Smith - 1988 - Philosophy of Science 55 (1):39-57.
A quantum theory of consciousness.Shan Gao - 2007 - Minds and Machines 18 (1):39-52.

Analytics

Added to PP
2011-05-29

Downloads
73 (#204,283)

6 months
5 (#244,526)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

Against Harmony: Infinite Idealizations and Causal Explanation.Iulian D. Toader - 2015 - In Romanian Studies in Philosophy of Science. Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science, vol. 313,. pp. 291-301.
Romanian Studies in Philosophy of Science.Ilie Pȃrvu, Gabriel Sandu & Iulian D. Toader (eds.) - 2015 - Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science, vol. 313: Springer.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references