Counting Universes

Jim discusses the size of the multiverse, reading: Vilenkin, A., "A Measure of the Multiverse." J. Phys A. 40, 6777 (2007) in light of: Susskind, The Landscape of String Theory Akrami, Kallosh, Linde, and Vardanuyan, "The Landscape, the Swampland, and the Era of Precision Comsmology."

Entropy v. Entropy

Published 20200618

I talk about Benjamin Shumaker's "Information for Quantum Measurements," which disucsses the differences between information-theoretic entropy, physical entropy, and it's application to quantum communication.

Show Notes:
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1. Paper for this episode:

• Schumaker, B., "Information for Quantum Measurements." Complexity, Entropy, and the Physics of Information, W.H. Zurek, ed., 29 (Perseus Books, 1990)

2. Complexity, Entropy, and the Physics of Information., Wojciech H. Zurek, ed. (1990). This is the book that I'm reading.

3. Good books about entropy and statistical mechanics understandable educated people:

• Ben-Naim, A., Entropy Demysitified: The Second Law Reduced to Plain Common Sense with Seven Simulated Games. (World Scientific, 2008). [Amazon]
• Ben-Naim, A., Entropy and the Second Law: Interpretation and Misss-Interpretationsss. (World Scientific, 2012). [Amazon]

Ben-Naim has written many more books on the subject, in various levels of technical detail. But, as I haven't read them, I can't sort through them for you.

4. Please comment below or visit our reddit page.

The Machine in the Ghost

Published 2020/05/13

I talk about some implications of a Bohmian interpretation of quantum mechanics on Quantum Cosmology.

Show Notes:
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1. Papers for this episode:

• Torres, I., J.C. Fabris, and O.F. Piattella, "Bouncing and cyclic quantum primordial universes and the ordering problem, Class. Quantum Grav. 37 106006 (2020) [arXiv]
• Rovelli, C., "The Strange Equation of Quantum Gravity." Class. Quantum Grav. 22 (2015). [arXiv]

2. Books discussed in the episode:

• The Wave Function: Essays On The Metaphysics Of Quantum Mechanics, A. Ney and D.Z. Albert, eds. (2013). Discussion of the meaning of the wavefunction from a philosophical perspective. Highly concerned with the de Broglie-Bohm interpretation. [Amazon]
• Variational Approach to Gravity Field Theories, A. Vecchiato (2017). I don't remember if I talked about this book during the podcast, but I referenced it before, during, and after the initial recording. [Amazon]

3. Related episodes of Physics Frontiers:

• Physics Frontiers 45: Loop Quantum Gravity
• Physics Frontiers 41: The Chameleon Field
• Physics Frontiers 31: The Parameterized Post-Newtonian Framework
• Physics Frontiers 29: Gravitational Alternatives to Dark Energy
• Physics Frontiers 23: Dark Energy
• Physics Frontiers 9: f(R) Theories of Gravity

4. Please comment below or visit our reddit page.

Itty Bitty Physics

Published 20200428

I talk about John Wheeler's "Information, Physics, Quantum: The Search for Links," wherein he talks about the facts about quantum mechanics that he thinks will be important for extending physics in the future.

Show Notes:
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1. Paper for this episode:

• Wheeler, J.A., "Information, Physics, Quantum: The Search for Links." Complexity, Entropy, and the Physics of Information, W.H. Zurek, ed. (Perseus Books, 1990)

2. Related episodes of Physics Frontiers:

• Physics Frontiers 45: Loop Quantum Gravity.
• Physics Froniters 30: The Consistent Histories Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics.

3. Complexity, Entropy, and the Physics of Information., Wojciech H. Zurek, ed. (1990). This is the book that I'm reading. Apparently, it's still in print. The hardcover edition was apparently $65.00 in 1995 (although I bought it used), and now it's $145.00 hardcover (as I type).

4. Please comment below or visit our reddit page.

The Quantum Bookie

Uploaded: 20200419

I discuss QBism, or quantum bayesianism, in the light of several of Christopher Fuchs' papers. Quantum Bayesianism is the extension of the Bayesian interpretation of probability -- one of many subjective views of the nature of probability -- to quantum mechanics. In essence, the view is that the wave function is your personal assessment of likelihoods of experiments and that the results of experiments are your personal experiences, and that the use of these experiments is to update your view of the world.

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Show Notes:

1. Papers discussed in this episode:

• Fuchs, CA, ND Mermin, R Schack, "An Introduction to QBism with Application to the Locality of Quantum Mechanics." American Journal of Physics 82, 749 (2014). [arXiv]
• Caves, CM, CA Fuchs, and R Schack, "Quantum Probabilities as Bayesian Probabilities." Physical Review A 65 022305(2002) [arXiv]
• Fuchs, CA, "QBism, the Perimeter of Quantum Bayesianism." [arXiv]

2. Related Physics Frontiers Episodes:

• Physics Frontiers 46: Wigner's Frient
• Physics Frontiers 44: Spooky Action at a Distance
• Physics Frontiers 30: The Consistent Histories Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
• Physics Frontiers 2: The De Broglie-Bohm Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

3. Related Quantum Paradoxes Episodes:

• Quantum Paradoxes Intermission: Quantum Metaphysics
• Quantum Paradoxes 9: Quantum Cats
• Quantum Paradoxes 8: Quantum Measurements
• Quantum Paradoxes 3: Is Quantum Theory Complete?
• Quantum Paradoxes 1: The Uses of Paradox

4. Feel free to comment below or on the Physics FM reddit page. You can also follow us on Facebook, if you'd like to talk to Randy, or Twitter, if you'd like to not talk to me.