bsa@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery) (07/26/85)
Expires: Quoted from <2651@topaz.ARPA> ["Re: ftl discrepancies"], by Alfke.PASA@Xerox.ARPA... +--------------- | There IS violation of Relativity. Relativity prohibits any transfer of | information at speeds greater than that of light. It doesn't matter how | the information got from one place to another, just the distance covered | per time taken. Upsetting, isn't it? +--------------- Last I heard, there were theoretical considerations flying in the face of that result which hadn't been resolved. Such as Schroedinger's Cat. How fast does the copenhagen-form ``choice of alternatives'' (or Everettian selection of an alternate universe) go? Quantum theory says it must be instantaneous throughout all of creation... but it's transfer of infor- mation. So which is true? (Explanation: the quantum ``waveform'' exists over all space and time, the ``hump'' in the probability curve is in one position. Except when a ``Schroedinger's Cat'' situation occurs, which it does constantly: either THIS has happened and the ``hump'' is HERE, or THAT has happened and it is THERE. Copenhagen theory says BOTH are true until one is proven NOT to be true. Everettian theory says the same, but prevents paradox by placing the two in different universes; ``discovery'' of which happened detemines which universe we have fallen into. I have managed to get a decent time-travel theory out of this idea; pity that I don't have the math to see if it's consistent. Anyway, in either case, and especially in the Copenhagen case, the ``decision'' must travel a large distance INSTANTANEOUSLY. Which implies not merely FTL, but INFINITE speed. This is, as I recall, one of the major discrepencies in relativistic quantum theory.) The probelm gets even worse if you allow time travel, but we won't discuss that; one problem at a time, please. Will any quantum-theory gurus correct me on the above if I heard wrong? It's a subject that interests me. (BTW, I consider Copenhagen Q.T. a copout.) -- Brandon Allbery, Unix Consultant -- 6504 Chestnut Road, Independence, OH 44131 decvax!cwruecmp!ncoast!bsa; ncoast!bsa@case.csnet; +1 216 524 1416; 74106,1032 ========================> Trekkies have Warped minds. <=======================