[extropy-chat] MWI at 50

[scerir]

The Perimeter Institute will host a conference
to mark the 50th Anniversary of Everett's
paper proposing his (self-)interpretation
of the universal quantum wave function ...
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/en/Events/Many_Worlds_at_50/Many_Worlds_at_
50/

... and Matt Leifer thinks it is a bit anti-Quinian.
http://mattleifer.wordpress.com/2007/04/11/why-is-many-worlds-winning-the-fo
undations-debate/

There is some progress in defining what an
'interpretation' - esp. regarding QM - should be
http://mattleifer.wordpress.com/2006/06/28/professional-jealousy/

but I still see problems, at least when people
define QM as an "operating system", or as
a "syntax", and then try to interpret it.

That is, perhaps, the reason why Peter Shor writes that
"Interpretations of quantum mechanics, unlike Gods,
are not jealous, and thus it is safe to believe in more
than one at the same time. So if the many-worlds
interpretation makes it easier to think about the research
you're doing in April, and the Copenhagen interpretation makes
it easier to think about the research you're doing in June,
the Copenhagen interpretation is not going to smite you
for praying to the many-worlds interpretation. At least
I hope it won't, because otherwise I'm in big trouble."