Undergrad Retro-causality thought experiment

[john taylor]

It has been mostly substantiated by virtue of experiments such as wheelers delayed choice quantum eraser experiment that we are able to retroactively impact past events of particles. However could this apply to the universe. When physicists are carrying out experiments today, which are creating the conditions of the big bang, prior to the experiment it is uncertain what they will find, because it is uncertain how things behaved back then. That means by experiment that physicists are retroactively determining the laws of physics and even what happens today. This could have devastating consequences potentially since effecting the conditions of the big bang could dramatically effect the conditions today.

Please tell me what you think of my thought experiment?

 

[phinds]

It has been mostly substantiated by virtue of experiments such as wheelers delayed choice quantum eraser experiment that we are able to retroactively impact past events of particles. However could this apply to the universe. When physicists are carrying out experiments today, which are creating the conditions of the big bang, prior to the experiment it is uncertain what they will find, because it is uncertain how things behaved back then. That means by experiment that physicists are retroactively determining the laws of physics and even what happens today. This could have devastating consequences potentially since effecting the conditions of the big bang could dramatically effect the conditions today.

Please tell me what you think of my thought experiment?

I think it's nonsense. If I find out today that you got married 8 years ago, does that somehow mean that you are now divorced? You may or may not be divorced now, but my finding out when you got married has nothing to do with it.

To be more specific, the properties of the electron, for example, are what they are. Our DISCOVERING what they are has no effect on what they are now or on what they have always been.

 

[john taylor]

So do I but its a thought experiment to highlight the absurdities with some of the ideas being proposed in quantum mechanics.

 

[phinds]

So do I but its a thought experiment to highlight the absurdities with some of the ideas being proposed in quantum mechanics.

What specific ideas do you have in mind? I suspect that you might be misunderstanding whatever idea it is that you think is absurd, unless of course you just mean that it defies "common sense" or "intuition" both of which are often counterproductive in QM.

 

[davenn]

highlight the absurdities with some of the ideas being proposed in quantum mechanics.

What specific ideas do you have in mind?

Ohhh yes ... please enlighten us all

 

[PeterDonis]

t has been mostly substantiated by virtue of experiments such as wheelers delayed choice quantum eraser experiment that we are able to retroactively impact past events of particles.

No, it hasn't. That would violate causality, and no experiment has ever shown a violation of causality.

Please tell me what you think of my thought experiment?

It's not a thought experiment, it's a mistaken understanding of an actual experiment.

Thread closed.