The Everett Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: Collected Works 1955-1980 with Commentary
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.68 (538 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0691145075 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 392 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-01-01 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Jeffrey A. . Barrett is professor of logic and philosophy of science at the University of California, Irvine. Peter Byrne is an award-winning investigative reporter and science writer
This definitive volume also features Barrett and Byrne's introductory essays, notes, and commentary that put Everett's extraordinary theory into historical and scientific perspective and discuss the puzzles that still remain.. Today, however, Everett's formulation of quantum mechanics is widely recognized as one of the most controversial but promising physical theories of the last century. Although counterintuitive, Everett's revolutionary formulation of quantum mechanics offers the most direct solution to the infamous quantum measurement problem--that is, how and why the singular world of our experience emerges from the multiplicities of alternatives available in the quantum world. The many-worlds interpretation postulates the existence of multiple universes. These primary source documents, many of them newly discovered and most unpublished until now, reveal how Everett's thinking evolved from his days as a graduate student to his untimely death in 1982. Hugh Everett III was an American physicist best known for his many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, which formed the basis of his PhD thesis at Princeton University in 1957. In this book, Jeffrey Barrett and Peter Byrne present the long and short versions of Everett's thesis along with a collection of his explanatory writings and correspondence. Everett's challenge to the orthodox interpretation of quantum mechanics was met with scorn from Ni
"What can be said without dispute is that the present editors have done an excellent job in presenting the available material. The editors have skillfully grouped the material according to both chronological order and topical concern, and have added a fair amount of useful annotation, assisting the reader without being overly intrusive. Their book can be highly recommended to physicists in each of the two parallel branches of the mental universe!"--Peter J. Short but expertly written introductions provide necessary context on the biographical and conceptual dimensions. The book is also a fascinating and rewarding read."--Tilman Sauer, British Journal for the History of Science"In sum: Spinoza's metaphysics has returned in the work of Hugh Everett as physics--as a complete and consistent interpretation of QM that resolves the traditional puzzles of the standard interpretation."--Sheldon Richmond, Philosophy in Review
Undiscovered Treasure Like many people I found aspects of Quantum Mechanics bewildering. What is this indeterminacy? What is the collapse of the wave function exactly? Why does QM require a "classical" measurement apparatus? Why is there no quantum theory of measurement? There are various proposed solutions, but most people tell you "just shut up and calculate". I was aware of the many worlds theory that Hugh Everett came up with but it seemed too weird.This book includes background material on Everett's sad life and unt