PIRSA:13050072 Conference Quantum Foundations

DOI10.48660/13050072

Conference/School: The Quantum Landscape 2013

Smolin, L. (2013). Time, cosmology and quantum foundations. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/13050072

Smolin, Lee. Time, cosmology and quantum foundations. Perimeter Institute, May. 31, 2013, https://pirsa.org/13050072 

@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}}
}

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. 

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