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From: weemba@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (Matthew P. Wiener)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy,net.physics
Subject: Re: Does the moon exist?
Message-ID: <12709@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Thu, 27-Mar-86 04:24:52 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.12709
Posted: Thu Mar 27 04:24:52 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Mar-86 07:38:46 EST
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Reply-To: weemba@brahms.UUCP (Matthew P. Wiener)
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Xref: watmath net.philosophy:4720 net.physics:3991

In article <539@umich.UUCP> torek@umich.UUCP (Paul V. Torek ) writes:
>For a less mystifying view, see N. Maxwell, ``Are Probabilism and Special
>Relativity Incompatible?'', _Philosophy of Science_ 198[4?].  He suggests
>that wave-packet collapse occurs whenever the difference in rest-energy
>between the possible collapsed states exceeds a certain value.  His account
>reproduces all the empirical successes of orthodox QM but gives different
>predictions for certain as-yet-untested circumstances.  More detailed
>references available upon request.

If it's not orthodox quantum mechanics, I doubt if it is correct.  For one
thing, it sounds like yet another hidden-variable theory.

I do not consider J A Wheeler's views mystifying in the least.  The hardest
thing about learning twentieth century physics is not in understanding the
new stuff but in forgetting the old stuff.  Only with excess mental baggage
can you be mystified by Wheeler's views.

My own view is that wave-packet collapse is to the twentieth century what
the luminiferous ether was to the nineteenth century.  The only mystery is
what the twenty first century will reveal about how odd our views today
really are.

ucbvax!brahms!weemba	Matthew P Wiener/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720