- #1
Nosebgr
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A Design for a Quantum Time Machine
Andrew Gray, submitted 2 Apr 1998
ABSTRACT
"In the new ``History Selection'' formulation of Quantum Mechanics an entire cosmic history is selected over all space and time, with a probability for selection assigned to each possible history. As this probability depends on the whole history, and is not merely composed of the product of probabilities for each step in the history, the theory is not a causal theory. It shall be shown that this violation of causality is usually completely unobservable and confined to the microscopic world, occurring inbetween ``observations''. However it shall also be shown that in certain special circumstances it is possible to exploit the intrinsic non-causal nature of the theory to violate causality at the macroscopic level. A practical design for a device which can exploit this effect is shown. Such a device would effectively enable one to see into the future, and is thus a kind of time machine. Finally it shall be shown that, according to this new formulation of Quantum Mechanics, this does not give rise to any unpleasant time paradoxes."
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I came across this while I was browsing through arXiv.org, submitted back in 1998 and funnily enough removed in 2004 with an amusing note: "This paper has been retracted, for obvious reasons."
Initial submission link: https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9804008v1
Retracted version: https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9804008
If you came across similar, or even more ridiculous papers please do share. Hopefully the links work, if not let me know.
Andrew Gray, submitted 2 Apr 1998
ABSTRACT
"In the new ``History Selection'' formulation of Quantum Mechanics an entire cosmic history is selected over all space and time, with a probability for selection assigned to each possible history. As this probability depends on the whole history, and is not merely composed of the product of probabilities for each step in the history, the theory is not a causal theory. It shall be shown that this violation of causality is usually completely unobservable and confined to the microscopic world, occurring inbetween ``observations''. However it shall also be shown that in certain special circumstances it is possible to exploit the intrinsic non-causal nature of the theory to violate causality at the macroscopic level. A practical design for a device which can exploit this effect is shown. Such a device would effectively enable one to see into the future, and is thus a kind of time machine. Finally it shall be shown that, according to this new formulation of Quantum Mechanics, this does not give rise to any unpleasant time paradoxes."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I came across this while I was browsing through arXiv.org, submitted back in 1998 and funnily enough removed in 2004 with an amusing note: "This paper has been retracted, for obvious reasons."
Initial submission link: https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9804008v1
Retracted version: https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9804008
If you came across similar, or even more ridiculous papers please do share. Hopefully the links work, if not let me know.