Can Quantum Suicide Be Modified to Create Quantum Insomnia?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the possibility of modifying the quantum suicide experiment to create a scenario termed "quantum insomnia," where instead of dying, a participant is put to sleep. The aim is to explore whether this modification could help distinguish between the many worlds and Copenhagen interpretations of quantum mechanics.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that modifying the quantum suicide experiment to induce sleep instead of death could provide insights into the interpretations of quantum mechanics.
  • Others argue that no experiments can distinguish among interpretations of quantum mechanics, as they all yield the same mathematical predictions and experimental results.
  • A participant disputes the notion that interpretations are merely different stories, suggesting that some interpretations could lead to different theories with testable predictions.
  • It is noted that there has been no published variation of the quantum suicide experiment that avoids actual death, and that many proponents of the many worlds interpretation do not believe the experiment would be valid.
  • One participant explains that if a person is put to sleep, they will eventually awaken, which undermines the ability to prove the many worlds interpretation through this method, as the probability of being the version that remains asleep is not significant.
  • Another participant suggests that if the phenomena allowed for the discounting of worlds where one is asleep, it would lead to a state of "quantum insomnia," as there would always be a world where one remains awake longer.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the feasibility of modifying the quantum suicide experiment and the implications of such modifications. While some assert that the experiment cannot be modified in a meaningful way, others explore the theoretical implications of such a modification.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the definitions of interpretations and theories, as well as the assumptions underlying the proposed modifications to the quantum suicide experiment. The discussion does not resolve these complexities.

john taylor
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Is it possible to modify the original quantum suicide experiment in a way in which rather than dying you are put to sleep for someone to distinguish between many worlds and Copenhagen interpretations?
 
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john taylor said:
Is it possible to modify the original quantum suicide experiment in a way in which rather than dying you are put to sleep for someone to distinguish between many worlds and Copenhagen interpretations?
No. There are no experiments that can distinguish among interpretations. That's why they are CALLED interpretations --- they all use the same math and have the same experimental results.
 
StevieTNZ said:
Disputed by some

What is disputed is not whether experiments can distinguish among interpretations; they can't. That's the definition of an "interpretation": that it doesn't change any predictions of a theory, it just changes what story you tell in ordinary language.

What is disputed is whether different interpretations of QM can be extended to different theories--models that make different predictions from standard QM for some experiments--and if so, whether the differences between these different theories could be tested experimentally. Notice that in the very post you link to, @stevendaryl carefully makes just this distinction:

stevendaryl said:
People often say that Many-Worlds, Bohmian mechanics and Copenhagen are different interpretations of the same theory, and so by definition, they can't be distinguished by experiment. To me, they are slightly different theories, not different interpretations of the same theory.
 
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john taylor said:
Is it possible to modify the original quantum suicide experiment in a way in which rather than dying you are put to sleep for someone to distinguish between many worlds and Copenhagen interpretations?

What the others said above is right, but more specifically addressing your question: No, nobody has ever published a variation of the suicide experiment that works without actually dying. It's not a very common research topic. Further, all the (living) well-known figures who are partial to many worlds don't think the suicide experiment would work anyway; it might just be an incorrect application of probability.
 
john taylor said:
Is it possible to modify the original quantum suicide experiment in a way in which rather than dying you are put to sleep for someone to distinguish between many worlds and Copenhagen interpretations?
It wouldn't work, but since nobody here explained why, let me explain it. If you are put to sleep (rather than killed), then sooner or later you will awake. If someone repeats the experiment many times on you, and if each time the probability is 50% that you will be put to sleep, then in about half the cases you will experience awakening. Sure, according to MWI, there will be one copy of you that will never be put to sleep and hence never experience awakening, but most likely you will not be that copy. The probability that you will be that copy is the same as the probability that you will just be lucky without MWI. Hence this cannot prove MWI.

By the way, if someone is interested in more serious probabilistic paradoxes related to sleep, I recommend https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/the-sleeping-beauty-problem-any-halfers-here.916459/
 
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To put it another way: if the phenomena worked such that you could discount the worlds where you are sleeping it would create Quantum Insomnia. Since there is always some world where you stay awake a little longer, you would never experience falling asleep.

Quantum Immortality, as used in the suicide experiment, only works because you ignore the worlds where you are dead. That's justified since they are rather irrelevant to your future selves.
 
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