Many researchers continue to discuss "retrocausal" approaches to quantum theory that involve a basic assumption that one can combine forward-directed causal flow and backward-directed causal flow "in spacetime." (My own proposal, RTI, has basic time symmetry but that is broken at the spacetime level, so it does not fall into this category.) In this post, … Continue reading Forward Causation + Backward Causation = Zero Causation
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Video of U Pitt talk
I've been enjoying my stay this semester at University of Pittsburgh's Center for Philosophy of Science. Here's the video of my March 15 talk: https://youtu.be/YNIdSu-HqFo?t=173
Talk at U Pitt on March 15
I'll be presenting a talk at the Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh on March 15 (2022). In this talk I'll be discussing how the Direct-Action Theory of Fields (also known as the 'Absorber Theory' can resolve numerous problems in physics, some of them seemingly unrelated. The core of this work … Continue reading Talk at U Pitt on March 15
Why arguments against free will based on physics are hugely overrated
It seems that many scientists are eager to throw in the towel on free will. This somewhat technical article, published in Probing the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics: Superpositions, Dynamics, Semantics and Identity , Eds. D. Aerts et al, (2016) https://doi.org/10.1142/10185 , explains why that is a serious mistake. If anything, our best physical theories actually suggest … Continue reading Why arguments against free will based on physics are hugely overrated
No, different observers do not see “irreconcilable facts”: on “Wigner’s Friend”
A recent experiment in the lab, billed as a "Wigner's Friend" experiment, has been interpreted as a test of "local observer independence." The authors claim the experiment shows that observers must irreconcilably disagree on facts related to quantum measurements. The paper linked below (recently accepted in Foundations of Physics) shows that this is a misinterpretation … Continue reading No, different observers do not see “irreconcilable facts”: on “Wigner’s Friend”
A chat with Jeffrey Mishlove on postmortem survival
Jeffrey has been thinking about postmortem survival and wanted to discuss the implications of various physical theories for this question. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aME8UONGRFg
Sneak Peek at Chapter 8 of my forthcoming 2nd Edition
The 2nd edition of my 2012 book The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (Cambridge University Press) will be coming out in June, 2022. Below is an excerpt from Chapter 8, on the emergence of spacetime in the transactional picture. Comments welcome! The Relativistic Transactional Interpretation and Spacetime EmergenceDownload
How to resolve “Quantum Paradoxes” (Talk at CQT Singapore, Jan. 6, 2021)
I recently gave a talk at an online conference presented by the University of Singapore's Center for Quantum Technologies. I discuss how the transactional picture can account for measurement and eliminate many of the problems of standard quantum theory. You can see the talk here: https://youtu.be/26ht9J-E-hg?t=170
Happy New Year! …and the latest on RTI
I'm celebrating the advent of 2021 with a post featuring the very latest theoretical developments supporting the Relativistic Transactional Interpretation (RTI): The Relativistic Transactional Interpretation and The Quantum Direct-Action Theory This material is based on Chapter 5 of the forthcoming 2nd Edition of my book The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: The Reality of Possibility … Continue reading Happy New Year! …and the latest on RTI
Announcing: The Quantum Institute
It is with great excitement that I announce the creation of a new independent, non-profit academic research institute: The Quantum Institute. We are in the early stages of organization, but already moving ahead with some exciting research. Visit our new site to learn about what we're doing!