Why something rather than nothing?

[GeorgCantor]

Without a valid theory on how a wavefunction becomes something, there isn't going to be any progress. From a philosophical perspective, the wave function seems to be transcending the space-time bound as a more fundamental ontological explanation for our observations. The real problem we have here is the problem of mind and consciousness and how wavefunctions become observable matter particles. The answer to the OP is going to range from - the something is a branching actuality in a multiverse of possible outcomes to extreme theories of minds creating actualities. So the OP is not even a philosophical question, as it presupposes the existence of knowledge that isn't available. This, imo, is the border between philosophy and religion and sadly the important questions still seem to lie deep into the domain of religion and faith.

 

[qsa]

Without a valid theory on how a wavefunction becomes something, there isn't going to be any progress. From a philosophical perspective, the wave function seems to be transcending the space-time bound as a more fundamental ontological explanation for our observations. The real problem we have here is the problem of mind and consciousness and how wavefunctions become observable matter particles. The answer to the OP is going to range from - the something is a branching actuality in a multiverse of possible outcomes to extreme theories of minds creating actualities. So the OP is not even a philosophical question, as it presupposes the existence of knowledge that isn't available. This, imo, is the border between philosophy and religion and sadly the important questions still seem to lie deep into the domain of religion and faith.

The standard interpretation is good enough for the majority. To progress we need not stop at such problems too long ,although it should be ok for some people to try to beat this problem to death. More important and pressing issues are at hand. ie. quantum gravity, nature of particles, QFT reliability and meaning, the interrelations between all the main models and so on. Mixing religion and physics has long stopped to be valid and the competition has not been usefull since Kepler, maybe even longer than that. I believe each has its own arena now.

 

[GeorgCantor]

The standard interpretation is good enough for the majority.

I have no idea what you are talking about when you say majority and standard interpretation. The latest polls indicated that MWI is supported by the majority, whereas the standard interpretation is is still the Copenhagen - measurement causes collapse. So what exactly did you mean by "The standard interpretation is good enough for the majority"?

And how exactly does measurement causes collapse give you an idea as to what reality or "something" is? What kind of philosophical questions does "measurement causes collapse" answer? Is there an answered philosophical question at all by the standart "interpretation"? Please clarify, as i have no idea what you meant by that statement.

To progress we need not stop at such problems too long ,although it should be ok for some people to try to beat this problem to death.

You sound like you think there has been a resolution to the interpretational debate. You are wrong. Very deeply wrong.

More important and pressing issues are at hand. ie. quantum gravity, nature of particles, QFT reliability and meaning, the interrelations between all the main models and so on.

Huh? You think QFT reliability(whatever that means) is more important that knowing what reality is and what exactly is going on, outside of how we observe...errr, the universe? The nature of reality and the world is less important than the interrelations between physics models? I am not sure that you understand what is at stake and what is being questioned.

Mixing religion and physics has long stopped to be valid and the competition has not been usefull since Kepler, maybe even longer than that. I believe each has its own arena now.

What kind of mixing are you proposing? Be specific.

 

[qsa]

I have no idea what you are talking about when you say majority and standard interpretation. The latest polls indicated that MWI is supported by the majority, whereas the standard interpretation is is still the Copenhagen - measurement causes collapse. So what exactly did you mean by "The standard interpretation is good enough for the majority"?

from wiki

""According to a poll at a Quantum Mechanics workshop in 1997[7], the Copenhagen interpretation is the most widely-accepted specific interpretation of quantum mechanics, followed by the many-worlds interpretation ""

I don't think the many-worlds helps in collapse either since it denies it and certainly does not support your "The real problem we have here is the problem of mind and consciousness ".

And how exactly does measurement causes collapse give you an idea as to what reality or "something" is? What kind of philosophical questions does "measurement causes collapse" answer? Is there an answered philosophical question at all by the standart "interpretation"? Please clarify, as i have no idea what you meant by that statement.

You sound like you think there has been a resolution to the interpretational debate. You are wrong. Very deeply wrong.

I did not say that. I am sorry you misunderstood. I just said there are more pressing issues.

Huh? You think QFT reliability(whatever that means) is more important that knowing what reality is and what exactly is going on, outside of how we observe...errr, the universe? The nature of reality and the world is less important than the interrelations between physics models? I am not sure that you understand what is at stake and what is being questioned.

I would say at least 99% of work in physics revolves around finding a good model that corresponds to reality i.e. experiments. GRW and the likes are great, really great. But the 99% know what is at stake when they work with Axiomatic QFT,String, LQG, AS, CDT, Twister and all kinds of combinations not to mention the many cosmological models based on GR. one look at what is been published in arxiv is enough.

What kind of mixing are you proposing? Be specific.

I'll be more blunt. Ever since the discovery that the Earth is not flat and and the sun(and the universe) does not revolve around the Earth and animals where not saved by a boat; classical religion , no matter how hard it tries it has lost grounds big time. I feel some people try to salvage this loss by finding loopholes in modern science. No need really, I think all humans (don't mind some with strong back reaction) respect religion come what may.

 

[GeorgCantor]

I'll be more blunt. Ever since the discovery that the Earth is not flat and and the sun(and the universe) does not revolve around the Earth and animals where not saved by a boat; classical religion , no matter how hard it tries it has lost grounds big time. I feel some people try to salvage this loss by finding loopholes in modern science. No need really, I think all humans (don't mind some with strong back reaction) respect religion come what may.

You could be religious without belonging to any particular religious dogma.

 

[qsa]

You could be religious without belonging to any particular religious dogma.

I agree.

 

[kishore_13]

Why not? The general form is first explicated by the philosopher Robert Nozick. Why don` t you ask him? Ops, his dead.





No. In my hypothesis, I never called existence brute fact. My hypothsis does assume existence of the world, and is a justified assumption, unless you want to doubt it. Do you?





Brute fact has a technical meaning in philosophy.

X is a brute fact if and only if 1. X is contingent, and 2. It is not entailed by other facts.

2 is not completely precise, because i don` t want to get into all the technical stuff here.
The basic idea is that X is the effect, or result of some other facts. That is to say, There is not facts q, such that q implies the existence of X.

"See no big words either, other than "ontological". Was that too big for you?"
What are you talking about? It is tiny!

Now for X to be brute fact there should another fact to prove it.Now,for the existence of the other fact which proves the fact X,it needs to be a fact too.So,where this cycle stars..is where it ends.

 

[yoda jedi]

You could be religious without belonging to any particular religious dogma.

3. (adj) religious:
scrupulously faithful or exact; strict

 

[Galteeth]

Without a valid theory on how a wavefunction becomes something, there isn't going to be any progress. From a philosophical perspective, the wave function seems to be transcending the space-time bound as a more fundamental ontological explanation for our observations. The real problem we have here is the problem of mind and consciousness and how wavefunctions become observable matter particles. The answer to the OP is going to range from - the something is a branching actuality in a multiverse of possible outcomes to extreme theories of minds creating actualities. So the OP is not even a philosophical question, as it presupposes the existence of knowledge that isn't available. This, imo, is the border between philosophy and religion and sadly the important questions still seem to lie deep into the domain of religion and faith.

There is also the idea that existence depends upon knowlegde being incomplete. That is, total information would be the same de facto as "nothing." Maybe then, the paradox is an essential feature of existence itself.