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Where did this ‘Wrong’ idea of quantum theory implying consciousness come from? Quantum physicists.

There has been much angst in the cybersphere recently about purported hijackings of solid, rational physical theory in service of 'unprincipled New Age fantasies' about 'Consciousness' being implied by quantum theory. The purpose of this post is to set the record straight about where these allegedly  'Crazy', 'Wrong' ideas came from: distinguished pioneering quantum physicists. … Continue reading Where did this ‘Wrong’ idea of quantum theory implying consciousness come from? Quantum physicists. →

A call for nuance in the ‘science/religion’ discussion–open letter to Dr. Sam Harris

Dear Dr. Harris: At one point in your comments to Dr. Chopra (in "The Future of God" debate), you stated that one will never see a theoretical physicist make a categorical, dogmatic assertion. But I have often seen physicists (and philosophers of physics) do just that. One example is the often-dogmatic assertion that 'physics implies … Continue reading A call for nuance in the ‘science/religion’ discussion–open letter to Dr. Sam Harris →

What are ‘weak measurements’ and what do they tell us about quantum systems? Less than is often claimed.

The idea of 'weak measurements' has been much discussed recently in the popular science presses as well as in physics journals. This post aims to demystify some of the claims made about quantum systems based on weak measurements. As illustration of the basic idea of weak measurement, consider the following analogy. A quantum shoe factory … Continue reading What are ‘weak measurements’ and what do they tell us about quantum systems? Less than is often claimed. →

Dr. Quantum on my new book (http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/p993)

Fred Alan Wolf (aka 'Dr. Quantum') is a best-selling author of philosophically-oriented books on modern physics  for the general reader. He recently offered this review of my new book, Understanding Our Unseen Reality: Solving Quantum Riddles (Imperial College Press): "Ruth Kastner is emerging as one of the latest new interpreters of the mysteries of quantum … Continue reading Dr. Quantum on my new book (http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/p993) →

A Unified Account of Relativistic and Non-Relativistic Quantum Theory

The non-technical presentation of this material is available in my new book for the general reader, available here and as a Kindle version here. The Possibilist Transactional Interpretation: A Unified Account of Relativistic and Non-Relativistic Quantum Theory that Solves the Problem of Measurement Ruth E. Kastner 17 February 2015 1 Introduction The transactional interpretation of … Continue reading A Unified Account of Relativistic and Non-Relativistic Quantum Theory →

Free Will Part II: No need to be disillusioned

Last week I argued that agents making free choices do not in fact have to violate any physical law, in view of quantum indeterminism. Rather than being a ‘slave’ to the quantum statistics, as some philosophers have argued (e.g. Ted Sider, 2005), a choosing agent can be governed by quantum propensities while still having enough … Continue reading Free Will Part II: No need to be disillusioned →