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Full-Text Articles in Physics
Does Science Need Intersubjectivity? The Problem Of Confirmation In Orthodox Interpretations Of Quantum Mechanics, Emily Adlam
Does Science Need Intersubjectivity? The Problem Of Confirmation In Orthodox Interpretations Of Quantum Mechanics, Emily Adlam
Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research
Any successful interpretation of quantum mechanics must explain how our empirical evidence allows us to come to know about quantum mechanics. In this article, we argue that this vital criterion is not met by the class of ‘orthodox interpretations,’ which includes QBism, neo-Copenhagen interpretations, and some versions of relational quantum mechanics. We demonstrate that intersubjectivity fails in radical ways in these approaches, and we explain why intersubjectivity matters for empirical confirmation. We take a detailed look at the way in which belief-updating might work in the kind of universe postulated by an orthodox interpretation, and argue that observers in such …
Tabletop Experiments For Quantum Gravity Are Also Tests Of The Interpretation Of Quantum Mechanics, Emily Adlam
Tabletop Experiments For Quantum Gravity Are Also Tests Of The Interpretation Of Quantum Mechanics, Emily Adlam
Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research
Recently there has been a great deal of interest in tabletop experiments intended to exhibit the quantum nature of gravity by demonstrating that it can induce entanglement. In order to evaluate these experiments, we must determine if there is any interesting class of possibilities that will be convincingly ruled out if it turns out that gravity can indeed induce entanglement. In particular, since one argument for the significance of these experiments rests on the claim that they demonstrate the existence of superpositions of spacetimes, it is important to keep in mind that different interpretations of quantum mechanics may make different …