The transactional interpretation and its evolution into the 21st century: An overview

Kastner, Ruth E.

doi:10.1111/phc3.12360

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…RTI is introduced in Kastner (2012). 4 For a quick review of the basics, including the concepts of 'offer wave' (OW) and 'confirmation wave' (CW), and the TI derivation of the Born Rule, see Kastner (2016a). For present purposes, an offer wave corresponds to the standard quantum state vector |X>, while a confirmation wave corresponds to the advanced response of an absorber, represented by dual vector <Y|.…”

Section: The Basics: a Brief Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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On the Status of the Measurement Problem: Recalling the Relativistic Transactional Interpretation

Kastner¹

2019

Adventures in Quantumland

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In view of a resurgence of concern about the measurement problem, it is pointed out that the Relativistic Transactional Interpretation (RTI) remedies issues previously considered as drawbacks or refutations of the original Transactional Interpretation (TI). Specifically, once one takes into account relativistic processes that are not representable at the non-relativistic level (such as particle creation and annihilation, and virtual propagation), absorption is quantitatively defined in unambiguous physical terms. In addition, specifics of the relativistic transactional model demonstrate that the Maudlin 'contingent absorber' challenge to the original TI cannot even be mounted: basic features of established relativistic field theories (in particular, the asymmetry between field sources and the bosonic fields, and the fact that slow-moving bound states, such as atoms, are not offer waves) dictate that the 'slow-moving offer wave' required for the challenge scenario cannot exist. It is concluded that issues previously considered obstacles for the Transactional Interpretation are no longer legitimately viewed as such, and that reconsideration of the model is warranted in connection with solving the measurement problem.

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Section: The Basics: a Brief Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For further background, rather than repeat here what has already been published about the relativistic extension of TI (RTI) and its relation to the Davies theory, the reader is invited to consult Kastner ( 2012b and2014a ). It may also be helpful to review Kastner (2016a).…”

Section: The Basics: a Brief Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Status of the Measurement Problem: Recalling the Relativistic Transactional Interpretation

Kastner¹

2019

Adventures in Quantumland

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“…An overview of the Transactional Interpretation (henceforth "TI") is provided in [26]. To briefly review: according to the absorber theory, the basic field propagation is time-symmetric, containing equal parts retarded and advanced fields.…”

Section: Measurement In the Transactional Interpretationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the deeper, relativistic level of TI as it has been developed [22][23][24][25][26][27], the generation of absorber response (i.e., a confirmation) is itself a stochastic process described (in part) by coupling amplitudes between fields. For example, the random Poissonian probabilistic description of the decay of an atomic electron's excited state is understood in the RTI picture as reflecting a real ontological indeterminacy in the generation of both an offer and confirmation for the photon emitted.…”

Section: The Relativistic Level: Further Roots Of the Arrow Of Timementioning

confidence: 99%

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On Quantum Collapse as a Basis for the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Kastner

2017

Entropy

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It was first suggested by David Z. Albert that the existence of a real, physical non-unitary process (i.e., "collapse") at the quantum level would yield a complete explanation for the Second Law of Thermodynamics (i.e., the increase in entropy over time). The contribution of such a process would be to provide a physical basis for the ontological indeterminacy needed to derive the irreversible Second Law against a backdrop of otherwise reversible, deterministic physical laws. An alternative understanding of the source of this possible quantum "collapse" or non-unitarity is presented herein, in terms of the Transactional Interpretation (TI). The present model provides a specific physical justification for Boltzmann's often-criticized assumption of molecular randomness (Stosszahlansatz), thereby changing its status from an ad hoc postulate to a theoretically grounded result, without requiring any change to the basic quantum theory. In addition, it is argued that TI provides an elegant way of reconciling, via indeterministic collapse, the time-reversible Liouville evolution with the time-irreversible evolution inherent in so-called "master equations" that specify the changes in occupation of the various possible states in terms of the transition rates between them. The present model is contrasted with the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber (GRW) "spontaneous collapse" theory previously suggested for this purpose by Albert.

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The Silence of Physics

Dainton

2021

Erkenn

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Although many find it hard to believe that every physical thing—no matter how simple or small—involves some form of consciousness, panpsychists offer the reassurance that their claims are perfectly compatible with everything physics has to say about the physical world. This is because although physics has a lot to say about causal and structural properties it has nothing to say about the intrinsic natures of physical things, and if physics is silent in this regard it is perfectly possible that everything physical has an experiential intrinsic nature. Following in Thomas Nagel’s footsteps, panpsychists have also argued that by revealing that everything is composed of the same fundamental ingredients, physics provides grounds for holding that if any physical things (e.g. our neural processes) have an experiential intrinsic nature then all must. My main contention in this paper is that the relationship between physics and panpsychism is considerably more complex than panpsychists have tended to assume. Nagel’s reasoning may be sound in the context of simplistic atomic theories which posit just one kind of fundamental particle. However, it begins to look distinctly dubious in the context of the diverse range of primitive entities that are to be found in the Standard Model of particle physics. Galen Strawson has suggested that mass-energy interconvertibility should be regarded as evidence that everything physical has the same intrinsic nature. I suggest Strawson’s claim relies on a dubious construal of the nature of energy. Special relativity is another of the cornerstones of contemporary physics, and it too makes life difficult for panpsychists, a fact which emerges when we consider what it would like to be a ray of light. However in this case I suggest that there is an interesting—if radical—move open to the panpsychist: they can simply deny that light exists. To conclude I briefly consider whether what QCD has revealed about the nature of mass poses a problem for panpsychism.

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The transactional interpretation and its evolution into the 21st century: An overview

Cited by 8 publications

References 23 publications

On the Status of the Measurement Problem: Recalling the Relativistic Transactional Interpretation

On the Status of the Measurement Problem: Recalling the Relativistic Transactional Interpretation

On Quantum Collapse as a Basis for the Second Law of Thermodynamics

The Silence of Physics

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