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SUMMARY:Quantum Theory: one world or many? - Dr. Jeremy Butterfield\, FBA
DTSTART:20110201T181500Z
DTEND:20110201T193000Z
UID:TALK29680@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Alexey Morgunov
DESCRIPTION:"Is there anyone who hasn't heard about the strange fate of Sc
 hrödinger's cat? I doubt it! But just in case\, I shall start this talk b
 y reviewing how Schroedinger's thought-experiment about an infernal device
  designed to kill a cat\, if a radioactive atom decays\, raises fundamenta
 l issues about understanding quantum theory. Then I shall discuss one radi
 cal approach\, which has just had its fiftieth anniversary: Everett's prop
 osal that there is no funny business about a measurement process inducing 
 the quantum state to collapse indeterministically\, according to which of 
 the alternative outcomes occurs\; and there is no supplementing of the sta
 te (traditionally called 'hidden variables') so as to represent which outc
 ome occurs—or indeed to represent any other physical fact.\n\nFor this p
 roposal to reconcile its uncollapsed and un-supplemented quantum state wit
 h the apparent fact that any quantum experiment has a single outcome\, it 
 needs to identify the Appearances—our apparent macroscopic realm\, with 
 its various experiments' outcomes—with one of a vast multiplicity of rea
 lms\, called 'branches'. Indeed\, a dizzying vision. Is it true?"\n\n_Dr. 
 Jeremy Butterfield is a philosopher of physics at the University of Cambri
 dge\, and a fellow of Trinity College. His research includes philosophical
  aspects of quantum theory\, relativity theory and classical mechanics._
LOCATION:Winstanley Lecture Theatre\, Trinity College
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