Am I understanding the intepretations correctly?

[Trollfaz]

Some (non quantum woo) articles say that its the Copenhagen interpretation that suggests that a conscious observer is needed to collapse the wavefunction. It is my understanding that the Copenhagen interpretation only states that everything exists in a superposition until measured. It does not make any effort to link measurement with consciousness. I believe that its the von Neumann-Wigner interpretation that says consciousness collapses the wavefunction. Also, Eugene Wigner eventually abandoned his work on this interpretation. Am I understanding the interpretations correctly?

 

[fresh_42]

You might want to read this:
https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/fundamental-difference-interpretations-quantum-mechanics/

 

[PeterDonis]

Some (non quantum woo) articles say

Please give specific references.

It is my understanding that the Copenhagen interpretation only states that everything exists in a superposition until measured.

Please give specific references for where you are getting your understanding from.

The answer to your question is probably going to be that what "the Copenhagen interpretation" means depends on which reference you use.

 

[Trollfaz]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_interpretation
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Neumann–Wigner_interpretation

Some (non quantum woo) articles say that its the Copenhagen interpretation that suggests that a conscious observer is needed to collapse the wavefunction.
http://www.askamathematician.com/20...on-between-quantum-physics-and-consciousness/

 

[PeterDonis]

The answer to your question is probably going to be that what "the Copenhagen interpretation" means depends on which reference you use.

Based on the references you give (none of which are textbooks or peer-reviewed papers, btw, so none of them are really valid sources), this is indeed the answer.

 

[PeroK]

http://www.askamathematician.com/20...on-between-quantum-physics-and-consciousness/

This is what is called a "straw man". The author presents a load of nonsense as Copenhagen and then pulls apart his own nonsense.

 

[atyy]

Some (non quantum woo) articles say that its the Copenhagen interpretation that suggests that a conscious observer is needed to collapse the wavefunction. It is my understanding that the Copenhagen interpretation only states that everything exists in a superposition until measured. It does not make any effort to link measurement with consciousness. I believe that its the von Neumann-Wigner interpretation that says consciousness collapses the wavefunction. Also, Eugene Wigner eventually abandoned his work on this interpretation. Am I understanding the interpretations correctly?

All forms of Copenhagen require subjective division of the world into a "real" part and a "quantum" part. The language varies, but the "conscious observer" is simply one way to describe the need for this subjective division.

Copenhagen does not say that everything exists in superposition until measured. The superposition or wave function is part of the "quantum" part of the world. Copenhagen is agnostic about the reality of the quantum part. The quantum part is regarded simply as a tool to predict the probabilities of observations that occur in the "real" part of the world.