Time, cosmology and quantum foundations
APA
Smolin, L. (2013). Time, cosmology and quantum foundations. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/13050072
MLA
Smolin, Lee. Time, cosmology and quantum foundations. Perimeter Institute, May. 31, 2013, https://pirsa.org/13050072
BibTex
@misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:13050072, doi = {10.48660/13050072}, url = {https://pirsa.org/13050072}, author = {Smolin, Lee}, keywords = {Quantum Foundations, Cosmology}, language = {en}, title = {Time, cosmology and quantum foundations}, publisher = {Perimeter Institute}, year = {2013}, month = {may}, note = {PIRSA:13050072 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}} }
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
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Abstract
I argue that quantum mechanics cannot usefully be extended to a theory of the whole universe, so the task of quantum foundations is to discover that cosmological theory which reduces to quantum mechanics when restricted to small subsystems of the universe. I argue that that cosmological theory will be based on a global notion of physical time which implies the distinction between past, present and future is real and objective. These motivate two examples of novel formulations of quantum theory: the real ensemble formulation and the principle of precedence. Each may imply departures from the expected quantum evolution for sufficiently large and complex quantum systems.