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

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