(Press-News.org) Ever since Austrian scientist Erwin Schrodinger put his unfortunate cat in a box, his fellow physicists have been using something called quantum theory to explain and understand the nature of waves and particles.
But a new paper by physics professor Andreas Albrecht and graduate student Dan Phillips at the University of California, Davis, makes the case that these quantum fluctuations actually are responsible for the probability of all actions, with far-reaching implications for theories of the universe.
Quantum theory is a branch of theoretical physics that strives to understand and predict the properties and behavior of atoms and particles. Without it, we would not be able to build transistors and computers, for example. One aspect of the theory is that the precise properties of a particle are not determined until you observe them and "collapse the wave function" in physics parlance.
Schrodinger's famous thought experiment extends this idea to our scale. A cat is trapped in a box with a vial of poison that is released when a radioactive atom randomly decays. You cannot tell if the cat is alive or dead without opening the box. Schrodinger argued that until you open the box and look inside, the cat is neither alive nor dead but in an indeterminate state.
For many people, that is a tough concept to accept. But Albrecht says that, as a theoretical physicist, he concluded some years ago that this is how probability works at all scales, although until recently, he did not see it as something with a crucial impact on research. That changed with a 2009 paper by Don Page at the University of Alberta, Canada.
"I realized that how we think about quantum fluctuations and probability affects how we think about our theories of the universe," said Albrecht, a theoretical cosmologist.
One of the consequences of quantum fluctuations is that every collapsing wave function spits out different realities: one where the cat lives and one where it dies, for example. Reality as we experience it picks its way through this near-infinity of possible alternatives. Multiple universes could be embedded in a vast "multiverse" like so many pockets on a pool table.
There are basically two ways theorists have tried to approach the problem of adapting quantum physics to the "real world," Albrecht said: You can accept it and the reality of many worlds or multiple universes, or you can assume that there is something wrong or missing from the theory.
Albrecht falls firmly in the first camp.
"Our theories of cosmology say that quantum physics works across the universe," he said. For example, quantum fluctuations in the early universe explain why galaxies form as they did — a prediction that can be confirmed with direct observations.
The problem with multiple universes, Albrecht said, is that it if there are a huge number of different pocket universes, it becomes very hard to get simple answers to questions from quantum physics, such as the mass of a neutrino, an electrically neutral subatomic particle.
"Don Page showed that the quantum rules of probability simply cannot answer key questions in a large multiverse where we are not sure in which pocket universe we actually reside," Albrecht said.
One answer to this problem has been to add a new ingredient to the theory: a set of numbers that tells us the probability that we are in each pocket universe. This information can be combined with the quantum theory, and you can get your math (and your calculation of the mass of a neutrino) back on track.
Not so fast, say Albrecht and Phillips. While the probabilities assigned to each pocket universe may seem like just more of the usual thing, they are in fact a radical departure from everyday uses of probabilities because, unlike any other application of probability, these have already been shown to have no basis in the quantum theory.
"If all probability is really quantum theory, then it can't be done," Albrecht said. "Pocket universes are much, much more of a departure from current theory than people had assumed."
The paper is currently posted on the ArXiv.org preprint server and submitted for publication and has already stimulated considerable discussion, Albrecht said.
"It forces us to think about the different kinds of probability, which often get confused, and perhaps can help draw a line between them," he said.
INFORMATION: END
LA JOLLA, CA----You might think you have nothing in common with mustard except hotdogs. Yet based on research in a plant from the mustard family, Salk scientists have discovered a possible explanation for how organisms, including humans, directly regulate chemical reactions that quickly adjust the growth of organs. These findings overturn conventional views of how different body parts coordinate their growth, shedding light on the development of more productive plants and new therapies for metabolic diseases.
Metabolism refers to all the chemical reactions in the body ...
The vast edges of our solar system – the boundary at the edge of our heliosphere where material streaming out from the sun interacts with the galactic material – is essentially invisible. It emits no light and no conventional telescope can see it. However, particles from inside the solar system bounce off this boundary and neutral atoms from that collision stream inward. Those particles can be observed by instruments on NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Since those atoms act as fingerprints for the boundary from which they came, IBEX can map that boundary in ...
HOUSTON – (February 5, 2013) – American Indians are at much greater risk of suicide after acute alcohol intoxication, according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
The study examined the prevalence and social demographic correlates of suicide involving acute alcohol intoxication among United States ethnic minorities. Results will be published in the May 2013 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"Some reviews suggest that people with alcohol ...
An allergic reaction to cockroaches is a major contributor to asthma in urban children, but new research suggests that the insects are just one part of a more complex story. Very early exposure to certain components of air pollution can increase the risk of developing a cockroach allergy by age 7 and children with a common mutation in a gene called GSTM may be especially vulnerable.
Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health published the findings, the first on this interplay of risk factors, in the February ...
Mothers who are exposed to particulate air pollution of the type emitted by vehicles, urban heating and coal power plants are significantly more likely to bear children of low birth weight, according to an international study led by co-principal investigator Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, MPH, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences at UC San Francisco along with Jennifer Parker, PhD, of the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study, the largest of its kind ever performed, analyzed data collected from ...
After a year of studying up close the symbiotic relationship between a mosquito-sized bug and a fungus, a Simon Fraser University biologist has advanced the scientific understanding of biological diversity.
Jeffrey Joy has discovered that symbiosis — a relationship between two or more organisms that can be parasitic or mutualistic — is as much the mother of biological diversity as predation and competition.
The Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B journal has just published the post-doctoral researcher's findings online. They advance Joy's previous ...
Jobs Difficult to Find for Those Over 55
Many employees continue to experience difficulties finding jobs in this tough economy. Unfortunately, research shows that those over the age of 55 seem to have an even greater struggle than most jobless Americans.
According to the AARP, unemployment rates for Americans 55 and older surged from 490,000 in 2000, to 2,114,000 in 2009. Reuters also reports that the number of workers over 55 struggling with long-term unemployment has more than doubled since 2007. In some cases, employee rights may come into play.
Both federal ...
State and Federal Authorities Cracking Down on Synthetic Drugs
State and federal authorities once lagged behind on the growing synthetic drug trend. The constantly changing chemical compounds in synthetic drugs, which mimic either the effects of methamphetamine or marijuana, made it a legal high for many users, who could purchase them at smoke shops and gas stations. This is no longer the case. Growing alarm at the frequent use and corresponding dangers of synthetic drug use has prompted state and federal authorities to issue harsh punishments to those found selling ...
What to tell (and not tell) a child about a divorce
A divorce is a high-stress event that makes parenting more difficult than ever. A child may have many several reactions and emotions to a divorce, and putting that child's needs first is more important than ever. Parents know this, of course, but it can be difficult to know how to say and do the right things to ensure a child is emotionally stable and able to move on after the divorce.
Speaking to children when divorcing
It is important to speak to children about divorce as soon as plans are made concrete. If ...
Financial issues to consider when getting a divorce
If you are going through a divorce, you know that your whole financial life is about to change. But if you prepare for it, the transition does not have to be difficult. The following tips can help you deal with your money matters as you are dissolving your marriage.
Make an assessment about what you have
To assess your financial condition, it is best to make a list of what you have, as well is what you owe. Make a list of your shared properties, investments and retirement funds , so you can give a detailed statement ...
