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SUMMARY:Realism\, the Interpretation of Quantum Theory\, and Idealism - Dt
  Matthew Donald (Cambridge)
DTSTART:20070226T163000Z
DTEND:20070226T180000Z
UID:TALK6744@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Jeremy Nicholas Butterfield
DESCRIPTION:Confused ideas about the weirdness of quantum mechanics have s
 ometimes been blamed for the spread of anti-realist positions in philosoph
 y. In this seminar\, I shall re-examine the relation between\nrealism and 
 quantum theory. After sketching the abstract mathematical structure of the
  theory\, I shall introduce realism in a very broad sense and discuss some
  of its problems and some counter-arguments. Then I shall look at why quan
 tum theory needs an interpretation and at some of the features common to m
 any proposed interpretations. I shall illustrate the themes of the seminar
  by discussing the idea of decoherence theory\, and by very briefly sketch
 ing my own realist version of idealism in which the fundamental entities a
 re structures which define minds\, and the fundamental laws govern the sto
 chastic developments of those structures. At some time after the seminar\,
  I intend to put an extended version of my notes and overheads on my web s
 ite at\n\nhttp://www.bss.phy.cam.ac.uk/~mjd1014/real.html\n\n
LOCATION:Meeting Room 14\, Centre for Mathematical Sciences
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