Broka, Chris A.
(2023)
Quantum Measurements and their Place in Nature.
[Preprint]
Abstract
A variant of the von Neumann-Wigner Interpretation is proposed. Problems arising from the quantum Zeno effect are addressed
as we have described previously. We do, however, offer some new and, perhaps, unexpected observations. We are accustomed to
thinking of wave function collapse as occurring consequent to laboratory measurements. We speculate that, whatever physical
correlate of consciousness exists within the brain, it is quantum mechanical in the sense that a brain, left to itself, would eventually
decohere into a state no longer compatible with its conscious functioning. Wave function collapse returns it to a state compatible
with consciousness. Indeed, this may be its important reason for occurring. A universe without it simply could not play host to
conscious brains. The fact that it also prevents us from encountering "absurd" situations in the laboratory is merely a fortunate
dividend. Whenever a quantum measurement is made the universe's future history splits into a number of possibilities. This
number may be very large or infinite. And we believe consciousness plays a vital role in this happening. A "conscious" universe
where quantum measurements are being made allows for an enormous number of equally acceptable world-histories. An
"unconscious" one, always evolving in a unitary fashion, allows for only one. If we assume that the decision as to which worldhistory
is the real one (i.e. this one) is made at random we see that the universe is overwhelmingly more likely to be "conscious"
than not.
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