Relational Quantum Mechanics
Chapter 1 - Our Worldview
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Welcome to the Relational Quantum Mechanics page
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Building on the relationship between time and space (the first building block), we look on this page at the most minor elements of our reality.
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Relationships create reality
In general terms, Relational Quantum Mechanics is not such a difficult principle for you to understand.
- When you are in the middle of a forest and close your eyes, are the trees still there? Of course, they are because their particles interact with all the other particles in the forest.
- But when no one is in the woods, and a tree falls, does it make a noise? In this case, no, the wave particles only interact with other wave particles in the air. They don't interact with a particle that is a part of a 'hearing mechanism'.
These simple examples illustrate Relational Quantum Mechanics, a theory postulated by Carlo Rovell:
- A system has one state relative to a given observer, and a different state relative to another observer.
- An observable has one value relative to one observer, and a different value relative to another observer.
The statements above mean that we live in a reality related to ourselves, even at the most fundamental level.
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Carlo Rovelli
Why do we remember the past but not the future? Why is it that we can decide what to do tomorrow but not what we did yesterday? Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli revels in asking such questions about the nature of time — they might seem trivial at first but they force one to look deeper, revealing new aspects of reality. In the world of physics, Rovelli is known for his work on loop quantum gravity — a theory that builds on Einstein’s general relativity and seeks to understand the quantum aspects of spacetime. The theory shows that the fabric of spacetime is woven by tiny loops built into a network.
“The quest for quantum gravity is to ask what time and space are. The main result, which took so long to develop, is that if you take general relativity, apply quantum mechanics, and calculate, what comes out is the granularity of space — there is no continuous space. “Studying quantum mechanics is about relationships, systems, structures, and orders that make the world,” says Rovelli. As in, meaning is created in relation to surroundings and is not inherent in individual things.
Content source |
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Santa Fe Institute - 2024 |
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Key take-aways
- On the smallest level relationships create reality
- Particles have an essential property that determines our entire life: entropy
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