Wigner's Friend and algorithmic information

[sayetsu]

I'm working on a novel involving QM ideas. What I'm most excited about is the prospect of taking a view on Markus Muller's propositions involving reality and algorithmic information theory. I'm trying to make it work with the Wigner's Friend thought experiment. Are there any ideas on how subjective realities could interact, or is solipsism our best guess? :O

 

[member 656954]

QM is a really hard subject to write accessible stories about in detail, @sayetsu. Greg Egan is possibly the best known author who tries, and many of his novels contain impenetrable sequences that I'm sure make sense to those in the know, but outside of that...well, reviews of his books tell the story.

Likewise, Mobius Dick by Andrew Crumey, which explores 'what is reality' and which left readers generally polarized, with one review titled, "Was this even a book" (while giving it 3-stars, go figure!).

Microsoft released a free shorts collection that included an interesting QM story by Greg Bear, The Machine Starts. I found that you have to pay attention to visualize what's going on, and while it is MWI-based, it conveys the complexity of delivering a QM themed narrative to the lay reader.

Are there any ideas on how subjective realities could interact, or is solipsism our best guess?

What is your story intended to say? It is hard to provide advice without some indication of your intent, because this could literally take you anywhere. For example, I am convinced that English magician Steven Frayne, better known as Dynamo, has access to the QM realm, and his 'magic' is mere manipulation of other threads of reality, where he drags the outcome into our view, such that "Voila", something impossible happens. There is no other explanation, surely

Being serious, once you have the premise of your narrative, answers to how you treat aspects such as solipsism should fall out naturally.

 

[sayetsu]

My impression from what I've read is that observers play a key role in the establishment of events in reality. Whether these events happen in something like spacetime, matter, and energy, I'm unsure. Reading between tthe lines of Muller's paper, I think it's plausible that the former aspects of "reality" are an illusion created by our consciousnesses to make sense of the informational input they receive as reality unfolds through their participation. I'm going stream-of-consciousness here; it's still mushy in my head. That's why I'm looking for more to learn.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

You should definitely read Quarantine by Greg Egan. You may find the book you want to write already exists.

 

[sayetsu]

Oh, great. D: Thanks, though.

 

[member 656954]

You should definitely read Quarantine by Greg Egan.

And if you understand it, @sayetsu, can you explain it to me (That's only semi silly, I've read Quarantine three times and the nuances still elude me!)