What Causes the Expansion of Our Universe?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the implications of observation in the double-slit experiment, particularly regarding the behavior of electrons and photons. Participants assert that the act of measurement, defined by the presence of a detector, collapses the wave function, independent of human observation. Key references include Feynman's Lectures on Physics, specifically Volume 3, which discusses the double-slit experiment. The conversation also touches on quantum decoherence and the need for precise definitions of "observation" in quantum mechanics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum mechanics principles
  • Familiarity with the double-slit experiment
  • Knowledge of wave-particle duality
  • Concept of quantum decoherence
NEXT STEPS
  • Read Feynman's Lectures on Physics, Volume 3, focusing on the double-slit experiment
  • Explore quantum decoherence and its implications in quantum mechanics
  • Investigate scholarly articles on the role of measurement in quantum mechanics
  • Examine graphical representations of the double-slit experiment for better conceptual understanding
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, quantum mechanics enthusiasts, researchers in quantum theory, and anyone interested in the philosophical implications of observation in quantum experiments.

  • #31
With the proviso that I've not take any formal courses in this area:
The expansion of the universe is not like a bomb exploding, where some large number of particles is statistically driven to occupy a larger volume than it previously had by a sudden increase in both the number of particles and the kinetic energy; The galaxies are not particles bouncing off the walls of the universe :wink:
Instead, it's thought to be something more fundamental than that: space itself is expanding, in the same sort of way (??) as space can bend, or do similarly strange things, as is understood from relativity. Google "Friedmann equations". Alternatively, I'd hazard a guess that searching for "expansion of the universe" in the cosmology forum would yield about as many results as searching for "double slit" would yield here... :-p
 

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