Explanation of Multiverse Past in Quantum Mechanics

IndiaNut92
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Hi-
I recently read Brian Greene's Fabric of the Cosmos which led me to think of an interesting concept that I would appreciate further explanation on. On page 456 Greene describes how in the multiverse view, if you traveled back to the past, you would have gone back to a past in a parallel universe and so any changes you would make in the parallel past would not affect the universe in which you came from.
Another theory he explained is that the past is unalterable and that any actions you take in the past, happened originally and so you were just fulfilling your "destiny" or rather committing the same actions that you had already done in the past, even if it was before your birth, etc.
These two ideas made me wonder: For example, in the double slit experiment, when an unobserved photon passes through, it appears in a wave pattern, however when it is observed, the probability wave collapses and it becomes a point particle. I am curious as to if this explanation can also work for both theories of time travel.
Since there are many parallel universes in the multiverse that we are not physically conscious of, could this be the "wave," similar to the photon? Likewise by going into the past, which would be "unchangeable" would this probability wave shrink, leaving us as the point particle so to speak, which would mean this past that we were conscious of could only have one outcome that we couldn't change.

I'm sorry if this is confusing, but I've done my best to describe this idea, jumbled as it may be. I appreciate your time in trying to explain if the combination of these ideas has already been thought of, if they're totally crazy or wrong, or just any comments or concerns in general. Thanks!
 
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good book..one of my favorites...

These two ideas made me wonder: For example, in the double slit experiment, when an unobserved photon passes through, it appears in a wave pattern, however when it is observed, the probability wave collapses and it becomes a point particle. I am curious as to if this explanation can also work for both theories of time travel.
maybe: Brian Greene says this in the same Chapter

We might one day find...that the act of conscious observation is an integral element of quantum mechanics, being the catalyst that coaxes one outcome from the quantum hze to be realized."


Since there are many parallel universes in the multiverse that we are not physically conscious of, could this be the "wave," similar to the photon?

Stephen Hawking has treated the entire universe as a quantum system...and a wave... in some of his analytical work. I think he used "imaginary" time...and the approach did not gain wide aceptance nor favor...
 
Thanks for the answer. Can you give me any links to or further reading on Hawking's analytical work that dealt with this? Also, what did he mean by "imaginary time". Many Thanks!
 
I read Hanbury Brown and Twiss's experiment is using one beam but split into two to test their correlation. It said the traditional correlation test were using two beams........ This confused me, sorry. All the correlation tests I learnt such as Stern-Gerlash are using one beam? (Sorry if I am wrong) I was also told traditional interferometers are concerning about amplitude but Hanbury Brown and Twiss were concerning about intensity? Isn't the square of amplitude is the intensity? Please...
I am not sure if this belongs in the biology section, but it appears more of a quantum physics question. Mike Wiest, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Wellesley College in the US. In 2024 he published the results of an experiment on anaesthesia which purported to point to a role of quantum processes in consciousness; here is a popular exposition: https://neurosciencenews.com/quantum-process-consciousness-27624/ As my expertise in neuroscience doesn't reach up to an ant's ear...
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. Towards the end of the first lecture for the Qiskit Global Summer School 2025, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Olivia Lanes (Global Lead, Content and Education IBM) stated... Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/quantum-entanglement-is-a-kinematic-fact-not-a-dynamical-effect/ by @RUTA
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