Spacetime Emergence: An (In)effective Story

Abstract

Physicists and philosophers are increasingly prone to regarding our current physical theories as providing 'effective descriptions' of real-world systems. In the context of quantum gravity research, this fuels a common view that the classical spacetime theory of general relativity provides effective descriptions where it is successfully applied. That common view of general relativity, in turn, encourages an 'effective' understanding of spacetime emergence. But descriptions of spacetime in general relativity irreducibly include global physical content, which is not effective. Recognizing this fact reigns in the interpretive scope of the common view of general relativity and specifically undermines our thinking about spacetime emergence effectively.