There is no Copenhagen interpretation of QM

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on the various interpretations of Quantum Mechanics (QM) often labeled as the "Copenhagen" interpretation. Participants identify four distinct interpretations: "Shut up and calculate," which is favored by practical physicists; Positivism, which posits that QM is solely about measurement results; the Collapse interpretation, where the wave function collapses upon measurement; and the Information interpretation, which views the wave function as representing information rather than reality. The consensus is that these interpretations, while related, are not interchangeable and reflect different philosophical stances on the nature of reality and measurement in QM.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Quantum Mechanics principles
  • Familiarity with the concept of wave function
  • Knowledge of measurement theory in physics
  • Awareness of philosophical implications in scientific interpretations
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore the "Shut up and calculate" approach in practical physics applications
  • Research the Positivism philosophy as it relates to measurement in QM
  • Investigate the Collapse interpretation and its implications for wave function realism
  • Study the Information interpretation and its impact on understanding quantum states
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physicists, philosophy of science scholars, and anyone interested in the foundational interpretations of Quantum Mechanics and their implications for understanding reality.

  • #31
A. Neumaier said:
This is no different than with other interpretations.

There is no SINGLE interpretation that may be called "the statistical interpretation".
There is no SINGLE interpretation that may be called "Bohmian mechanics".

What is meant is in each case in the eye of the beholder - with smaller subcommunities agreeing on a particular formulation, usually fixed by a particular reference.

In your formulation. I know you believe particles don't exist but they are just momentum of the field as told by Quantum field theory. Now I want to know is. Is there 100% proof and evidence that particles are really just momentum of the quantum field? Or is just a conjecture? This is supposed to be just a model for QFT. But is there solid proof that in a 430-atom buckyball when you send this off in a double slit, the buckyball quantum wave splits in the slits and splattered all over the detector. Meaning the 430-atom buckyball shatterred into many fragments in the detector as you believe. But rather than proving this. Just prove the general QFT idea that particles are just momentum of the field. Is there experiment that can distinguish this? If this can't be proven. Maybe this particular QFT model is just a temporary belief system to aid in the calculations. Someday. QFT may give rise to or superceded by a return to particles being primary and field just their emanations. Is this impossible? Why?
 
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  • #32
Varon said:
In your formulation. I know you believe particles don't exist but they are just momentum of the field as told by Quantum field theory.
Not momentum of the field (which is not even a well-defined notion), but localized concentrations of the field.
Varon said:
Now I want to know is. Is there 100% proof and evidence that particles are really just momentum of the quantum field? Or is just a conjecture?/QUOTE]
It is part of the traditional preparation procedure of particles, which may serve as their definition. One prepares them in a very localized source and let's them move in a very focussed direction. In a field theoric interpretation, it is these properties that give them the particle character.

But this is off-topic here; if you want to discuss it further, do it in the IR thread
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=490492
 
  • #33
Demystifier said:
What do you think?

I am not asking you to say which interpretation do you find most appealing (we have many other topics on that), but to say whether you agree there there is no SINGLE interpretation that may be called "Copenhagen".


I Agree.
 

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