Information Thought Experiment

“The past is the thing that hasn’t yet happened.”

In this paper I explore the idea that the laws of nature are emergent from “information”. This is not a new idea. It’s been argued that physics is described by equations that can be computed and therefore everything can be reduced to information in a computer. In other words we live in a simulation or the matrix. In this paper I’m not using this line of reasoning. Instead, I’m going to start by examining the properties of rudimentary information systems and see where that leads.

The information systems I will examine in this paper are images made up of black and white pixels. These images will represent our imaginary universe so I will use the term system and universe interchangeably. Let’s start with a universe made up of all white pixels represented by the image shown below.

Because every pixel is the same, we need a minimum amount of memory to store the information for this system. Also note that this system has no disorder, therefore we can say that this system has minimal entropy.

Now let’s look at another system. 

This system (pictured above) is completely random. If you wanted to remember this arrangement of black and white pixels, you would have to memorized all of them. That is why completly random systems are said to contain the maximum amount of information for their size. Also, this system is completely disordered, therefore it has maximum entropy.

OK so let’s begin our thought experiment by asking a question about this “maximum information” system or universe. The question is, “how could this completely random, maximum information, universe come to exist?”

Well, a maximum information universe cannot exist in isolation – each pixel must emerge randomly from a potential state. This means the system must first be in state where each pixel has the ability to be either black or white. In other words, each pixel is both black and white or a state of superposition. Then to bring our maximum information universe into existence, we let each pixel or coordinate randomly settle into a final state of black or white.

A. A system with each pixel in an uncertain superposition state must exist.

B. Each pixel is allowed to randomly settle into a final state of black or white.

In summary, in order for a completely random, maximum information system with maximum entropy to exist we first need another system to exist where each coordinate exists in an undetermined potential state.

So this thought experiment has yielded three interesting concepts. First, completely random systems require two systems sequentially ordered. Note that this is similar to how we experience the phenomenon of time – with a before and after. Second, we need these two systems to be arranged in a specific order. This is similar to what we experience as the arrow of time which moves forward from the past. And third, the final system is built upon a system that exists in an “undetermined state”. This is how quantum theory describes our universe – particles are not located until they are observed.

So, without any mathematical equations, and starting with purely fundamental ideas about simple information systems, this thought experiment has yielded characteristics reminiscent of time, the arrow of time and quantum mechanical behavior.

This is intriguing to me. This line of thinking was available to anyone living prior to the advent of modern technology and the discoveries of modern physics. With this logic, Greek philosophers could have developed ideas about quantum physics and even predicted behaviors we now observe in the lab such as outcomes recorded in the double slit experiment.

Also note that if this truly does predict observed phenomena, it qualifies as a scientific theory. Furthermore if this explains why there is an arrow of time, it has achieved something modern physics hasn’t been able to explain.

Nevertheless, let’s proceed and consider the system shown below.

This system has an arrangement of pixels that seem to “not” be random. There seems to be an imposed, purposeful order because it takes on the appearance of a clock. And we know a system that has some order, or predictability, is a system that has less information than the completely random system shown below…

and more information than the completely uniform system shown below…

In other words, storage-wise, an ordered system with “some information” sits in between a minimum information system and a maximum information system.

So let’s start with this question, “is the universe pictured above that looks like a clock, an ordered system?”

Well we know it’s not a minimum information system because it has some black pixels and some white pixels – it’s not all white or all black. But how do we know that it’s not a completely random, maximum information system? Well the answer is, “by just looking at the system in isolation, we don’t know that it’s not a purely random system.”

If you generate an infinite number of purely random systems, one of those systems will eventually be arranged in this exact configuration of black and white pixels that just happens to look like the image of the clock shown above.

So the thought experiment question is, “how can an ordered universe with some information (not maximum), come to exist?”

Well in order for any ordered system to exist, the “next state” system must exist. So let’s look at how this works. If the “next state” system is represented by the image shown below…

…then we can’t conclude that the system that looked like a clock was an ordered system. It might have been a random, maximum information system that just happened to look like a clock. However, if the next state system is this image…

…then we have a high confidence that it is not a maximum, fully random, information system. Given the unlikelihood of two sequential, random systems taking on the appearance of a working clock, we can be highly confident that it is an ordered system. In fact this is how an ordered universe with some information comes into existence.

A. A system with each pixel in an uncertain, potential state exists.

B. Each pixel then settles into a final state of black or white in an arrangement that conveys the order of that system.

C. A system that conveys the next state order exists and is ultimately experienced.

This is how an ordered system with some information comes into existence. Every ordered universe with some information requires a past undetermined state, a current ordered state and a next state that is ultimately experienced. Remember, without the next state system, there’s no way to know if the current state system is ordered or completely random. Also something to note is that the next state system doesn’t not need to exist “after” the current state system, it just needs to be ultimately experienced. This is compatible with and maybe even predicts concepts associated with the block universe theory. Given Einstein’s theory of relativity leads to the idea that you can slice the block universe at a diagonal – this might be how relativity emerges from information.

So in summary an ordered information system requires the existence of a next state system. In our vernacular, it needs a future.

And again, without any mathematical equations, this thought experiment has predicted that in order for an ordered universe to exist there must be an “uncertainty principle” based past, there must be an arrow of time, and there must exist a next state that is ultimately experienced.

Again, we are led to the conclusion that “information” is somehow a fundamental property, from which time, quantum behavior and some aspects of relativity emerge. And as I said, because this predicts phenomena we observe in the real world, this qualifies as a scientific theory. And because it explains the arrow of time, it has some advantages over modern physics.

One more thing. It’s interesting to ponder this idea from the point of view of time travel. This model of the universe says that while we experience the future as a next state system, it can already exist. Our real world experience and the theory of relativity does show this to be true. However the model says that the “past” is in an undetermined, potential state – so time travel there would land you in the quantum realm. So strangely enough, this theory say that “the past is the thing that hasn’t yet happened.”

OK that’s my thought experiment. Of course the next thing we would want to further explore is where this line of reasoning leads to concepts about space and time and black holes. Maybe dark matter and energy are rolled up in these ideas. I like to take these concepts in small steps given I don’t have a lot of time and I’m not a physicist – it’s highly likely that this is all nonsensical 🙂

Side Note: In this paper I make the claim that observed phenomena such as time, quantum mechanics and relativity emerge from looking at how pure information systems systems come to exist. The problem with this claim is that I am most likely employing a cognitive bias. I already know about time, quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of relativity, so I’m most likely seeing a pattern with which I’m already familiar. So the best test is to have the theory predict something I don’t know about or better yet, some new phenomena. I’ll ponder this but I just wanted to put this out there.

Anyway – here are some other random observations I have made regarding this “information model” theory. I will continuously add to these as ideas occur to me but I have not fleshed these out – they are just notes for possible future posts…

1. This may explain why entropy always increases which is also unexplained and not predicted by modern physics. The Big Bang theory says that our universe started from a singularity. Well this is reminiscent of the minimum information universe pictured below. Like a singularity it has minimal entropy, is homogeneous and does not have a past or a future – it can exist in isolation.

… and measurements of the cosmological constant predict that our universe is expanding and will ultimately end (no future required) as a completely random system with no order and maximum entropy…

… therefore our universe is moving from minimum entropy to maximum entropy. To get there, the entropy of the entire system must continuously increase.  

2. Maybe this idea explains why there is something rather than nothing. A system that results in nothing does not require a past state and does not require a future state. But we occupy a universe from which time has emerged, with a past, present and future. And our universe has information, and is not a zero information system. Our universe is also not homogeneous. It’s not a completely random system where there would be no clumping of matter into stars and galaxies.

3. One question this raises is, “if the current, ordered state can only exist if there’s an ultimately experienced ordered next state, then when we experience this next state – isn’t its past the previously experienced ordered state, and not an undetermined state?” The answer is, “no” if we strictly adhere to what the “information model” is telling us. It’s telling us that the current state universe or system always evolves from an undetermined state system while also having an already existing next state system that is ultimately experienced. While this seems puzzling and counterintuitive, we have to throw out intuition if we want to figure out what’s really going on. In fact this view of reality seems to fortify the concept of relativity. Our current reality is explainable only in terms of the current state ordered system. Everything else, including the undetermined previous state and the ordered next state, exists “relatively” to the current state. So scientific analysis of the so called future and past can only be done “relative” to the current ordered state reference frame. Relativity and quantum behavior both seem to easily emerge from this model.

4. What does this theory say about free will? Well, it makes sense that we believe we have free will while at the same time scientific exploration tells us we don’t. Maybe we perceive we have free will because at some level we are aware that the current ordered state evolved from an undetermined state. So the present is created from an infinite possibility state. But since the future ordered state already exists, in a way, the future is predetermined. This could explain why there is a free will paradox.

5. What does this Idea say about consciousness? If consciousness is not the byproduct of computational power, and therefore emergent from something non computational, then maybe it can be analyzed from this point of view. Sir Roger Penrose discusses this on his book The Emperor’s New Mind. In this book Penrose proposes that quantum effects may give rise to consciousness.

Scale Theory and The Big Bang

Subtitle: Effects on matter and light due to bent space time in the scale dimension.

I asked myself the question, “How are matter and light effected by bends in space time in the scale dimension?” That question led to this thought journey…

Just before the big bang the two edges of the scale dimension were connected at every 3D spatial coordinate. Entropy and time equaled zero at this moment. Then when the big bang happened these two scale dimension edges separated at every 3D spatial coordinate. When these two edges or endpoints separated, entropy became nonzero and time was born. The separation rate of these two scale dimension endpoints defined the expansion rate of the universe. Scale Theory hypothesizes that space time is bent at these two edges and as the two endpoints separate, space time flattens out in the middle.

The universe grows as these two endpoints separate. Mathematically speaking, entropy and time are increasing.

To a virtual being occupying a single 3D coordinate in the expanding universe, it would be difficult to understand or see the scale dimension as it increases in length and as the two endpoints separate. For this being one edge of the scale dimension is at the 3D coordinate they occupy and the other end is at the outer edge of their universe. The scale dimension lies in the direction that connects these to endpoints. The virtual being does not perceive this dimension as it grows and does not need it to navigate its 3D universe. This is what makes scale theory difficult for us to comprehend. As beings occupying 3D coordinate space, our survival does not depend on being able to perceive this dimension.

If you consider this virtual being as a finite piece of matter or as a photon of light, you can visualize how matter or light might be affected by bends of space time in this dimension. In the space between these two endpoints where space time is flat, matter and light are unaffected. At the edges of this dimension is where space time is bent and where the effects are felt. The bent space time at the 3D coordinate the virtual being occupies is felt as a pull in this direction. To this virtual being this would be perceived as dark matter. The bend of space time at the outer edge of the universe would feel like it was being pull apart. This would be perceived as dark energy. But as the virtual being moves around in 3D space it is unaffected in those directions by bent space time in the scale dimension.

So this thought journey explains how the shape of space time in the scale dimension affects matter and light. It also ties in the Big Bang, entropy and time.

Universe Expansion Explaination

This post explores the expansion of the universe in terms of Scale Theory.

Can Scale Theory explain how and why the universe is expanding? Well here’s what we know about the expansion of the universe.

As eloquently described in a HetDex article, initially there was a period of inflation. At around this point the universe was too hot for regular matter to exist let alone clump together. But somehow dark matter was able to clump together, thus forming a scaffolding upon which regular matter would later clump. The theory is that dark matter was able to form structure in the very early hot universe because it isn’t affected by radiation, light, or energy. Next, after about 400,000 years, the universe had cooled enough that particles could combine to form atoms. Over the next billion years or so, the universe continued to expand and cool, with enormous amounts of hydrogen and helium lumping together to give birth to stars and galaxies. Observations indicate that the expansion rate of the “early universe” was dictated primarily by dark matter. Then, about five billion years ago something changed and the expansion rate began to accelerate. It is believed that at this point in the evolution of the universe, the effects of dark energy took over. The theory is that the expansion rate of the “late universe” was dictated primarily by dark energy.

So can Scale Theory explain why dark matter is impervious to radiation and how dark matter was able to clump when it was too hot for regular matter to clump? And can it explain why dark matter dominated in the “early universe” and why dark energy now dominates in the “late universe”?

Dark Matter Clumping Stage

Scale theory says that dark matter is not some ultra light form of matter, like neutrinos. Scale Theory proposes that dark matter is in fact, bent space time at the small scale dimension extreme. So, given that dark matter is not matter at all, it’s unaffected by radiation. This explains why dark matter was able to “clump” in the early universe.

Dark Matter Dominance (400,000 – 9 Billion Years)

In the “early universe” the gravitational effects of matter and dark matter were the dominant factors with regards to the expansion rate. And this is predicted by Scale Theory. Scale theory says that dark matter is the result of bent space time at the small end of the scale dimension. And since the early universe was small (relatively speaking), there was more effect from warped space time at this scale extreme. Scale Theory indeed predicts that when the universe was smaller, the effects of dark matter would dominate.

Dark Energy Dominance (9 Billion – Present Time)

We know that things began to shift about 5 billion years ago. At this point, dark energy started to dominate and the expansion rate of the universe began to accelerate. And this too is predicted by Scale Theory. Scale theory says that dark energy is the result of warped space time at the large end of the scale dimension. And since the late universe was getting larger, there would be more effect from warped space time at the large scale extreme. Scale Theory indeed predicts that as the universe grows larger, dark energy should start to dominate. In fact, Scale Theory predicts that the effects of dark energy will not only continue to dominate, but it’s effects will grow more pronounced, further accelerating the rate of expansion.

In Summary

Scale Theory explains all three of the universe expansion stages. Dark matter was impervious to radiation in the early hot universe because according to Scale Theory, dark matter is not actually matter, it’s bent space time at the small scale extreme. The expansion of the early universe was dominated by dark matter simply because the universe was relatively small at that time. Then as the universe grew larger, the balance shifted. The effects of bent space time at the large scale extreme then started to dominate, hence dark energy took over and the expansion rate began accelerating.

Of course there’s more that can be discussed. We can think about the origin of the non homogenous nature of the universe. One idea that comes out of Scale Theory is that our universe was born from a black hole in another universe. And it is this “origin black hole” that accounts for the bending of space time at the scale extremes. If this is in fact true, the lumpiness of the early universe says something about the matter distribution of the gas that formed our origin black hole.

We can also talk about why the transition point was at 9 billion years. Maybe we can calculate the size of our origin black hole based on the expansion acceleration rate. The shift from deceleration to acceleration happened when the universe was 9 billion years old. Maybe a smaller origin black hole would have moved this shift point to an earlier date? Who knows? But the interesting thing is that if Scale Theory is right, the expansion of our universe might provide clues about the origin of our universe. Very cool.

Cosmological Evolution? (Part 6)

I raised this question in the last post..

Does abiogenesis help to balance the energy equation: Energy In = Energy Out?

Refresher: Energy In = the matter and energy used to create our universe, and Energy Out = the energy in our universe (tipping the matter antimatter scale in favor of matter).

Well, as I pointed out earlier in the series, according to the many-worlds interpretation (MWI) of quantum mechanics EVERY event is a branch point for a different universe. Whereas in scale theory, the branch points exist only as information from which our actual single universe emerges in Darwinian fashion. So, which universe emerges?

The universe that emerges is the one that balances the energy equation.

So, which universe balances the energy equation? As I said, it turns out that most possible universes are uneventful, energy-wise. But our universe with finely tuned physics constants that allow matter to clump and stars to shine is extremely interesting, energy-wise. So how does life fit into this equation?

Do animate, self replicating objects help to balance the energy equation?

Well, let’s start by examining the relationship between life and entropy.

Entropy is a measure of how disperse energy is among the particles in a system. And the second law of thermodynamics states that our universe is moving towards a state of maximum entropy, or disorder. Put another way – as one goes “forward” in time, the overall entropy of our universe increases.

So, maybe…

entropy increases in our universe at a rate that balances the energy equation.

If this is true, here’s what we have so far. Balancing the energy equation drives two results:

1. It tunes the universal physics constants such that matter clumps and stars shine (which is the fixed energy in our universe described by first law of thermodynamics)…
2. It sets the rate of entropy increase – (the second law of thermodynamics) thereby fixing the arrow of time in the forward direction (another property we observe to be true in our universe).

OK so if balancing the energy equation drives a specific rate of entropy increase – how might this relate to abiogenesis – or the emergence of life?

Here is my high level hypothesis:

At a micro level, living organisms decrease entropy, however in a wider context, life increases entropy. In fact – as MIT physicist Jeremy England’s equations show – life is especially good at increasing entropy. Therefore, abiogenesis may not be just a random happenstance – the emergence of life may in fact be either a necessary component or a highly likely byproduct of the energy equation trying to balance itself!

That concludes my current thinking on the topic of cosmological evolution. Our universe emerged for a mathematical reason out of all the possible configurations. And furthermore abiogenesis can be accounted for in this theory.

Update: I’ve considered the fact that maybe there isn’t a black hole large enough to “power” as it were, our universe. But we seem to be discovering larger and larger black holes the more we look.

This was written about in a Forbes article:

At the 237th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, scientist Feige Wang announced the discovery of a new quasar: an active, ultra-bright, supermassive black hole found at the centers of distant galaxies. This is the most distant quasar, and hence the most distant black hole, ever found. Its light comes to us from when the Universe was just 670 million years old, or ~5% of its current age, and yet it already grew to a mass that’s a whopping 1.6 billion times as massive as our Sun. It’s a mystery how a black hole this big can exist this early on, presenting both a crisis and a unique opportunity for astronomers and astrophysicists.

Here’s a link to the published paper:

https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.03179

Cosmological Evolution (Part 5)

OK in the last post I said that…

Energy In is the matter and energy used to create our Parent Black Hole. And Energy Out is the net matter and energy that makes up our universe (matter – antimatter).

…and that our universe must balance the energy equation

Energy In = Energy Out

…such that it consumes an amount of energy equal to the amount of energy being fed into it. This is merely conservation of energy at the inter-universe scale.

So the question is…

Why does the emergent universe, our universe, evolve the way it does – with, matter, stars and us?

Well, let’s consider the range of possible universes by varying or “tuning” the universal physics constants such as the speed of light, vacuum permittivity, Planck’s constant, or the gravitational constant.

It turns out that most possible universes are uneventful, with settings that don’t involve matter that clumps and stars that shine. Thus, they don’t end up balancing the energy equation and therefore, won’t end up emerging. In fact we know of only one setting for the universal physics constants that results in a universe that does involve energy consumption – and it’s the one that we inhabit!

So it’s not an accident that the speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second, or that Planck’s constant is 6.626176 x 10 joule-seconds. This combination of settings results in an “energy eventful” universe that can balance the energy equation.

So – let’s pause and let this idea sink in. Balancing the energy equation drives a very important result:

It tunes the universal physics constants such that matter clumps and stars shine – which gives us an “energy eventful” universe.

Our “energy eventful” universe is not just a random accident. Our universe emerged from an infinite number of possible universes because it’s the one that balances the energy equation. As I said..

There’s a set amount of energy available to our universe from beyond our event horizon, and our universe is the one that requires this exact amount of energy such that the overall system is balanced.

This is a profound idea – but let’s not stop there. What if this requirement to balance the energy equation is also the reason we exist? In the next posts I’d like to explore this concept…

Why did life emerge?

I mean, it’s possible to have an “energy eventful” universe that doesn’t involve abiogenesis – where life doesn’t emerge. But maybe there’s a mathematical explanation for the emergence of animate, self replicating objects!

OK – so let’s explore this question in my next post.

Cosmological Evolution (Part 3)

As I pointed out in the previous post, in scale theory, all possible alternate histories and futures only exist as information at sub Planck scales. And from all of these possible histories and futures, one single actual universe ends up emerging – the one you are in right now. This post series asks the question…

which “single actual universe” has the highest probability of emerging?

Well, I will make the case that the answer to this question has to do with the energy equation – which I promised to discuss.

But before I do, why am I even asking this question? Why do we care about what caused our “verse” to emerge? I mean according to the many worlds interpretation, all possible “verses” exist. Our’s – with matter and stars and life is just as likely to emerge as one with no matter and no stars and no life. Lykken and Spiropulu put it this way in their article titled Supersymmetry and the Crisis in Physics:

In the multiverse scenario, the big bang produced not just the universe that we see but also a very large number of variations on our universe that we do not see. In this case, the answer to questions such as “Why does the electron have the mass that it does?” takes an answer in the form of: “That’s just the random luck of the draw—other parts of the multiverse have different electrons with different masses.

If many worlds is correct then our existence is random – there is no scientific reason for things to be as we experience them. Put bluntly…

The many worlds interpretation of quantum physics says our existence is meaningless – our universe is just one possibility emerging from an infinite number of other possible universes – all equally likely to exist – and all that actually do exist.

But this isn’t what the math we experience tells us. We see a wave function that describes a probability space. Some things are more likely to happen than others. So what determines this probability?

You see, this is an important question because – the answer would reveal a great truth…

why are we here?

Why is our universe set up this way? Why are the physics constants finely tuned to values that allow matter to form and clump into stars that light up and provide elements and energy that ultimately power life?

Scale Theory says that one single “verse” emerges from the quantum foam that contains information about all possible “verses”. And as I said, this post series provides a logical, mathematical explanation to the question…

which “single actual universe” has the highest probability of emerging?

And unlike the many worlds interpretation, Scale Theory makes room for a logical, mathematical, explanation for our existence. That is, there is a mathematically explainable driving force that sets the probabilities described by the wave function.

I’m proposing that…

of the many universes that could exist, there is a mathematical explanation for why our universe, with matter and stars and life is the one, and only one, that in the end, actually does exist.

As I said, this selection process is evolutionary in nature and is driven by the survival of the fittest law. I will show that with “verses”, fitness is defined by the energy equation. Our universe must consume an amount of energy equal to the amount of energy being fed into it..

Energy In = Energy Out

So what is Energy In and Energy Out? Well that’s the topic of the next post…

Cosmological Evolution (Part 2)

As discussed in a previous post, in the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics EVERY event is a branch point for a different universe. However, in scale theory, all possible alternate histories and futures only exist as information at sub Planck scales. And it is the quantum classic border pressure that resolves the wave function into a single actual happening. So this post series asks the question…

which “single actual universe” has the highest probability of emerging?

My argument begins with Darwin’s “survival of the fittest.” In biology “fitness” is defined as the ability to win the right to procreate. In the kingdom of life, the ones who reproduce and pass on their genes are the fittest. But what defines cosmological fitness? I propose that “fitness” as it relates to “verses” is define by energy.

The universe that emerges from the wave function probability space is the one that balances the energy equation.

So what exactly is the energy equation and how is it balanced?

Well that’s the subject of this next post…

Cosmological Evolution (Part 1)

In a multiverse paradigm, if you were forced to only create one universe, which ‘verse’ would you create?

In his 1952 lecture, Erwin Schrödinger said that when his equations seemed to describe several different histories, these were “not (merely) alternatives, but all really happening simultaneously.“

In Scale Theory, these “historic alternatives” can be thought of as descriptions of “future possibilities” or potential universes. This post series is an exploration of why the universe we experience is the one that ended up emerging.

I will propose that our universe is the one that balances the energy equation (shown below). Simply speaking, our universe is selected based on its energy level. There’s a set amount of energy feeding into our universe from beyond our event horizon, and our universe is the one that consumes energy at a rate that balances the overall system.

Energy In = Energy Out

So if Schrödinger’s equations predict multiple alternative universes, the one that balances the above energy equation is the one that will emerge. Now I realize that if my theory proves to be right, this would be a big let down. It’s more exciting to believe that our existence is born from some deep cosmic revelation as opposed to the mundane balancing of an algebraic equation. But I’m afraid that after much consideration, this is where I’ve landed. The verse that ends up emerging is the one that balances energy in and energy out.

In the next post I will go into more detail about this idea – but I first wanted to lay out the general idea.

Let’s continue the discussion in this next post…

Pondering the Edges of Reality

The key to Scale Theory is that at the scale extremes, the very large and very small, scale-time is warped. The question is – what’s warping it? It could be the borders of a multiverse brane or the edge of a super massive black within which we reside. Either way, this post is an exploration of this boundary.

Here are the thoughts that I’d like to explore…

If we reside within a super massive black hole:

• We are familiar with the outside edge of black holes, so what is the inside edge like?
• Matter feeds super massive black holes. Is this the source of energy powering our universe?
• How does conservation of energy within our universe emerge?
• How does entropy and its property of always increasing emerge?
• Is space-time being built as proposed by Muller by this process?
• Is there math for what goes on inside of a black hole? It seems like this math would describe the creating of matter and energy as opposed to the consuming of it.
• Is the birth of our black hole what we perceive as the Big Bang?
• Hawking radiation describes quantum effects on the outside of a black hole. Does our relativistic reality break down into a quantum realm at very small scales because we are peering into the inside of a black hole?
• In a previous post I discussed the Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment. I proposed that a pressure at the quantum classic border is what drives the resolution of wave function. What is this pressure like? Is it like a thermodynamic pressure?
• Check out this article on the idea that a supermassive black hole may contain an entire universe.

If we reside within a multiverse brane:

• I’m less familiar with brane physics. Does scale theory allow us to determine if we are inside a brane as opposed to a supermassive black hole?

Finally

• Quantum Electrodynamics QED tells us that in empty space is not empty. It seems that Scale Theory aligns with this idea. The quantum foam (matter and antimatter particles) might exist in the bent scale-time zone beyond the quantum classical boundary.

Well these are some of the ideas I’d like to explore in this post.

Cheers…

Many Worlds vs. Scale Theory

In the previous post I examined the Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment from the viewpoint of Scale Theory. In this post I compare the many worlds interpretation with scale theory, as they relate to quantum mechanics. As you will see, I have clear rationale for why scale theory, which says scale is a forth physical dimension, is the correct interpretation. Let’s begin…

Right now many worlds theorists are claiming the high ground (watch this talk by Sean Carroll). They claim that they are letting the theory (quantum mechanics that is) take them to the promise land without having to add additional features or requirements. And while I agree with the approach of not glomming superfluous physics onto quantum theory, I contend that the many worlds interpretation isn’t entirely faithful to quantum theory. As I will explain, the probability distribution of the wave function seems to plays no role in the many worlds interpretation. This sets scale theory apart. Both interpretations don’t glom new physics onto quantum theory, yet scale theory doesn’t require an amputation of the mathematics. Here is my comparison of the two interpretations as they relate to quantum theory.

In the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics every event is a branch point for a different universe. This means that all possible alternate histories and futures represent an actual “world” or “universe”.

In the scale theory interpretation of quantum mechanics all possible alternate histories and futures exist as information at sub Planck scales. And it is the quantum classic border pressure that resolves the wave function into a single actual happening. A single happening that we in this universe actually measure or observe. If you want to understand what I mean by probability density and observation watch this video.

So in both interpretations there is a split or resolution of the wave function which does not require the act of measuring or observing. Many worlds splits or resolves into different universes and scale theory splits or resolves into a single physical universe. Again, no new physics is added to quantum theory with both interpretations. But here’s the rub…

In the many worlds interpretation every possible happening as described by the wave function actually happens regardless of the probability of it happening (as calculated by the wave function squared). Therefore the probability distribution has no affect whatsoever on the outcome. Remember, in the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics EVERY event is a branch point for a different universe. This means that ALL possible alternate histories and futures, regardless of the probability as described by the wave function, resolve into an actual “world” or “universe”.

This then renders the wave function inconsequential. So if the wave function distribution is inconsequential, it has no reason to exist. According to many worlds the wave function should be a digital distribution with places where the electron can possibly be found and places where it will never be found. But the wave function is not digital – see below.

As far as I can tell, the many worlds interpretation amputates or at least alters the wave function and its predictions of probability from quantum mechanics.

This is why I claim that scale theory is more faithful to quantum theory than the many worlds interpretation. As with many worlds a measurement is not required to drive the process and yet with scale theory the wave function has impact.

There is one “cherry on top” (non-scientific) advantage to scale theory. All things being equal (and as I’ve pointed out – they aren’t), scale theory is much easier on the psyche than many worlds. In scale theory there are no alternate versions of ‘me’ running around doing things I just don’t see myself doing.

So there you have it. A comparison of the two interpretations as they relate to quantum mechanics and the rationale for why scale theory is the correct one.

So now the question is – what drives the wave function probability? Which universe is the one most likely to emerge? This next series of posts sets out to answer this question. See you there.

Post Script: For a deeper explanation of the difficulty with the concept of probability in the Many Worlds Interpretation (MWI), read Chapter 4.1 of The Many Worlds Interpretation in the Stanford University Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

In the Stanford article the point is made this way: “If I am going to perform a quantum experiment with two possible outcomes such that standard quantum mechanics predicts probability 1/3 for outcome A and 2/3 for outcome B, then, according to the many worlds interpretation (MWI), both the world with outcome A and the world with outcome B will exist. It is senseless to ask: “What is the probability that I will get A instead of B?””

As I pointed out in my post this is the central problem with the MWI. The MWI of quantum mechanics requires a flat wave function where all probabilities of an event are equally likely. And this is not what we see.

In order to resolve this problem the many worlds theorist impose several strained alternate interpretations such as The Many Minds Interpretation and the Illusion of Post Measurement Probability. All of these are just desperate attempts to plaster over the fact that the MWI of quantum mechanics is wrong.

The correct interpretation is the one that is consistent with the entirety of quantum mechanics – not just parts of it. Scale Theory has the advantage, being that it’s consistent with all of quantum theory. In addition, it offers an explanation for dark matter and dark energy.

Let me know your thoughts…