Mindful Universe: Quantum Mechanics and the Participating ObserverThis book concerns your nature as a human being. It is about the connection of your mind to your body. You may imagine that your mind – your stream of conscious thoughts,ideas,andfeelings–in?uencesyouractions.Youmaybelieve that what you think a?ects what you do. You could be right. However, the scienti?c ideas that prevailed from the time of Isaac Newton to the beginningofthetwentiethcenturyproclaimedyourphysicalactionsto becompletelydeterminedbyprocessesthataredescribableinphysical terms alone. Any notion that your conscious choices make a di?erence in how you behave was branded an illusion: you were asserted to be causally equivalent to a mindless automaton. We now know that that earlier form of science is fundamentally incorrect. During the ?rst part of the twentieth century, that classic- physics-based conception of nature was replaced by a new theory that reproduces all of the successful predictions of its predecessor, while providing also valid predictions about a host of phenomena that are strictly incompatible with the precepts of eighteenth and nineteenth century physics. No prediction of the new theory has been shown to be false. |
Contents
Templates for Action | 33 |
2 | 57 |
Orthodox Interpretation | 62 |
3 | 69 |
A Gazzanigas The Ethical Brain | 147 |
E Locality in Physics | 169 |
G Nonlocality in the Quantum World 181 | 180 |
| 187 | |
| 195 | |
| 196 | |
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Mindful Universe: Quantum Mechanics and the Participating Observer Henry P. Stapp Limited preview - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
according action activity actual allows alternative approach aspects associated basic basis becomes behavior Bohr brain called causal cause choice claim classical physics completely conception connection conscious contemporary continuous correlated corresponding defined depends described aspects determined discrete dynamics effect effort elements empirical entities essentially exist experience experimenter explain fact hence human idea intentional interaction interpretation intervention involves issues kind knowledge laws mathematical matter means measurement mental mind nature Neumann neural objective observation occur ontology orthodox outcomes particle particular performed person philosophical physical theory physically described possible potentialities practice predictions principle probability problem process 1 action properties provides psychological quantum mechanics quantum theory question rational reality reason reduction region represented scientific seems smeared space spacetime specified stream structure template thoughts tion understanding universe values vectors von Neumann whole