Light waves are often compared to water waves. Quantum probability waves, but this latter is a serious error. Water waves and light waves (as well as sound waves) contain something substantial like matter or energy. But quantum waves are just abstract information – mathematical possibilities.
The quantum probability amplitude is pure information. It is neither matter nor energy. When a wave function “collapses” or “goes through both slits” in the dazzling two-slit experiment, nothing material is traveling faster than the speed of light or going through both slits.
We shall argue that the particle of matter or energy always goes through just one slit, although the popular Copenhagen interpretation of physics claims we cannot know the particle path, that a path does not even exist until we make a measurement, that the particle may be in more than one place at the same time, and other similar nonsense that deeply bothered Einstein as he hoped for an “objective reality.”
A large number of panpsychists, some philosophers, and some scientists, believe that the mind of a conscious observer is needed to cause the collapse of the wave function.
The Conscious Observer in Quantum Mechanics
A hand-picked portion of Max Bourne’s book will be published on Information Philosopher. Thanks, Bob! A few sound difficulties in the last five minutes of the lecture.
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