Does Consciousness collapse the wave function

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Does Consciousness collapse the wave function?

• .

Dick Bierman, University of Amsterdam, Utrecht
University Presented at the 6th Biennale on
Science, Technics Aesthetics 22-23 jan. 2005
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Can Consciousness be teleported?

• To answer the question we should investigate the
  relation between matter and consciousness.
• EMPIRICALLY!!!!

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Mind-Body Relation

• Mostly by Philosophers
• discussion of Free Will
• Current winner Materialistic Monism
• Free Will is illusion Consc. is epiphenomenon
• for a proposed theoretical rebuttal -gt Hameroff
• And furthermore
• Mind over Matter Psi (retro) psychokinesis Data
• Mental intention precedes material consequences
• QM measurement problem

Descartes
Dennett
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What is a measurement?
Consider the re-entry of the space shuttle
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Classical Measurement
Classicial Physics
Continuous infite
R
t
Measurement at t 3
Newton
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Measurement problem 2
Measurement at t 3
Classical Physics
R
t
electron
Newton
R

r1
Quantum Physics
r2
t
Discrete , few values
Schrodinger
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Measurement problem 3
1
P(r1)
1
P(r2)
But the description is one of probabilities (a
state vector).Upon measurement (T3) the vector
collapses into the final observed state. (R2)
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QP incomplete?
According to Einstein, who held a local realistic
view, this funny state vector reflected our (lack
of) knowledge, not the actual physical situation.
There was no collapse, there was only increase
in knowledge upon measurement.
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QP is complete!
Bell showed that ALL local realistic theories do
predict results different from what Quantum
Physics predicts. Empirical results showed that
QP was confirmed and hence Einstein
disconfirmed Thus it is not the case that the
particle had a precise specific property before
measurement (that we dont know) but it GETS the
position upon measurement.
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What has Schrödingers Cat to do with this

• Suppose we have a radioactive source
• When does it emit a particle?
• There are two possible final states
• Particle is not emitted
• Particle is emitted
• The true actual state is a superposition
• Upon measurement it collapses to one of the
  possible final states (Bell the measurement is
  responsible!).

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Schrödingers Cat
RA source
Emitted but also non-emitted
Hammer activation device
The measurement determines the state of the
cat. Where does the measurement occur?
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So what constitutes a measurement is really
important

• A measurement is something what you do with a
  measurement device.
• Usable in the daily practice of physics
• But possibly incorrect
• (von Neumann)

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The Measurement Problemsolutions

• Many World solution (Everett)
• Deterministic solution (Bohm)
• Non linear Schrodinger equation (GRW)
• Objective Reduction (Penrose)
• Radical subjective solution (Wigner, Stapp,
  Walker)

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Radical Solution

• . The reduction of the state vector is a
  physical event which occurs only when there is an
  interaction between the physical measuring
  apparatus and the psyche of some observer..
• from Hall, J., Kim, C., McElroy, and Shimony, A.
  (1977). Wave-packet reduction as a medium of
  communication. Foundations of Physics 7 (1977),
  759-767.

Note that this implies that the Schrödingers
cats fate is decided when a human psyche enters
the measurement chain.
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Quote in Hall et al
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Hall et al experiment
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Weaknesses in Hall

• Delay between first and second observation
• The dependent variable a conscious verbal report

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Amsterdam Replication

• Amsterdam 2002
• Delay
• 1000 msecs
• Dependent variable
• brain signals

• HALL et al 1977
• Delay
• few microseconds
• Dependent variable
• verbal report

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Amsterdam set-up
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procedure movie here
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Preprocessing data

• Separate odd-ball task to explore the
  preprocessing parameters
• Which subjects produced bad data (2/ 32)
• Which electrodes (leads) gave signals
• How to pool leads
• What filtering to be used
• What moments in time course to analyze

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Mean evoked potentials
N200
N160
P100
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Analysis procedure

• Predetermined we only analyze (differences
  between) peak amplitudes.
• We also apply non-parametric statistics (because
  of non normality of the distribution of data)

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Results split for condition(preobserved and
not-preobserved)
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Statistical analyses Peaks
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RESULTS peak analysis
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Lateralization
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Control analysis

• Split data randomly rather than according to Exp.
  Condition and repeat analysis.
• Effectsizes are on the average an order of
  magnitude smaller and statistically non
  significant

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Preliminary Conclusions

• Copenhagen interpretation supported
• And Consciousness stands outside of quantum
  physics (dualism)
• But wait a minute Strong claims need strong
  evidence..

Bohr
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Discussion / Conclusion

• Alternative normal explanations
• Sensory Cueing (ultra sounds)
• EM radiation
• Chance / Over-analysis
• Paranormal explanation?
• EEG transfer
• Current work
• Manipulate quantum vs classical source

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Replication set up
Alpha source
GM detector
Count down clock
EEG amplifiers
Trigger-in
delay
Audio-beep
Final Observer
Computer
Visual pre-observation for 50 of the events
Pre Observer
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Results Quantum vs Classical sources
microvolts
Classic-preobs
Quantum
Quantum-preobs
Classic
No Preobservation effect But Quantum-Classic
effect!
milliseconds
beep
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Can we reconcile first second experiment?

• Was the preobservation complete?
• Preobserver nor final observer has knowledge
  about quantum and classic source.
• Reduced coupling between pre-observer and final
  observer
• Camera on final observer wasnt used in 2
• Audio leakage from 2 -gt1 was removed

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What Next?
Preobserver
Eventsource
Final observer
Short delay
Verbal response
Hall, 1977
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What Next?
Preobserver
Eventsource
Final observer
Brain signals
Longer delay
Bierman 2002
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What Next?
Preobserver
Eventsource
Final observer
Bierman 2002
Brain signals
Longer delay
classical source
Whitmarsh, 2004
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This Next!
Preobserver
Eventsource
Final observer
Bierman 2002
Brain signals
Longer delay
Detailed feedback
Detailed feedback
Jan 2005- mar 2005
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This Next!
THE SAME person!!
Preobserver
Eventsource
Final observer
Bierman 2002
Brain signals
Longer delay
Detailed feedback
Detailed feedback
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C Teleportation?

• We are able teleport qp matter states
• If dualism is true, this technology will fail to
  teleport complete persons (with their mental
  state)
• But this is science fiction anyway

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Speculations 1

• Empirical Vision research suggests strongly that
  Consciousness is occurring only if recurrent
  processing starts (Lamme, 2002)
• Theoretically introduction of non linearity in
  the Schrodinger formalism gives reduction of the
  state vector.
• Are these two facts related?

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Speculations 2

• Within Einsteins approach QP would become
  complete (and collapse would be removed) if we
  introduce a hidden variable
• But this hidden variable has to be transcendent
  in space-time
• Is the collapsing (dualistic) aspect of
  consciousness transcendent in space-time?
• (this speculation introduces a double aspect of
  consciousness to be identified with contents of
  C , the personal history (the me), and the I
  that is having this body with this personal
  history)

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Thanks for your attention