Many+World+Hypothesis+(Erin+and+Rosie)

=__Many Worlds Theory Quantum Mechanics__= Quantum Mechanics uses the atomic and subatomic levels of matter to makes sense of the world wee see. When quantum particles are in motion they seem to take on wave-like properties, but when observed they act like matter. In quantum mechanics there is little limitation in the measurement of position and momentum, which is why Werner Heisenberg developed Heisenberg's uncertainty relation which solved the problem. The relation stated that the most specific level of measurement is obtained by taking the minimum uncertainty wave packet to use as the initial wave function. This wave packet spreads out but remains gaussian, or having a symmetrical bell-shaped curve. As a law of quantum mechanics moving particles do not have an exact position, we can only place the particle in probable locations based on time. The interactions between correlated objects are occurring at an extreme rate, faster than the speed of light. Neils Bohr said of quantum mechanics, "Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it". = =

=**Many World Hypothesis-An Overview**= The Many World Hypothesis (also referred to as many worlds theory or interpretation) is a concept of Quantum Mechanics which proclaims that there are multiple universes all steming from a single event. New universes continue to branch off by the billions each with a slightly different subatomic history. Orginally formulated by Hugh Evertt in 1957, the Many World Hypothesis is all about probability. The many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics suggests that for each quantum event a collision between two particles occurrs, causing the universe to split into many new universes, each one having a different outcome for the event. Quantum mechanics has made incredible advancements, but many physicits are questionable towards certain aspects. For instance, quantum theory states that an atom must enter a 'superposition' forcing them to be in multiple places at once. Neils Bohr and Werner Heisenberg tried to explain this impossible feat with the Copenhagen Interpretaion which says that we are unable to see these scenarios or in 'weird states' because they collapse when there is an attepmt to measure them. Hugh Everett disagreed with this theory, stating that in MWH the process of measurement has to do only with the wave-mechanics of quantum theory. He proposed that instead of "collapsing" upon being measured, the wavefunction used that same wave-equation all the time. Prior to observing the electron, it has an undefined location in the wavefunction and could potentially be found at any location. When measured, we randomly observe the electron in one locationcausing a specific outcome, while every other possible outcome is also taking place, but in a different universe. =__Relevant Experiments__=

__Schrödinger's Cat__
In 1954, an Austrian physicist performed an experiment after reading an EPR artice. This EPR article, named after the three authors: Einstein, Poldolsky, and Rosen, talked about the strange nature of quantum superpositions. A superposition is the combination of all the possible states of a system. Erwin Schrödinger wanted to put these theories to the test. He put a cat in box with a flask containing poison that is hooked up to a detector. If this detetctor senses raditaion, the flask will shatter and the poison will be released, killing the cat. Basically, the cat's life is dependent on the state of a particle. It is from here where different scientists have their explanations. Copenhagen stated that the cat is both dead and alive and only when looked upon, it is one or the other. Everett said that the cat is both dead and alive and both versions of the cat exist in different worlds.

__Double Spilt Experiment__
In order to explain this phenomenon about electrons behaving like particles and waves, scientists resort back to the double silt experiment. In this experiment, electrons are shot through one slit and hit a back board. The pattern that results is a single band of electrons. When shot through a double slit, two bands form. This part of the experiment backs up the idea that electrons act like particles. But when a band of light filled with electrons is shot through a double slit, something strange happens. Instead of forming a double band that mirros the double slit, an interference pattern shows up, juts like a wave. When a wave is put through the same test through a double slit, it shows an interference pattern. When a single electron is fired, it splits and passes through both of the slits and then rejoins together, just like waves do. But when this is observed, the electron passes through just one slit. This can be explained by the Copenhagen Interpretaion. He said that particles can exsist in multiple places, but when observed, collapses into one. This is called wave function collapse. A wave function can be described as a function used to explain any physical system by listing all possible coordinates of electrons. Before it is measured, the electron has equal probablility of being in any of the positions which it is allowed by the wave function, but this changes as soon as the electron is measured. When this happens we are only able to see the electron in one position, but it is only theory that the electron has a definite position, so there is a possibility that in measuring the electron a second time, under the same conditions, it may be found in a new position.

media type="youtube" key="1KN6a8inOF8" height="344" width="425" media type="youtube" key="7SjFJImg2Z8" height="344" These videos show a good demonstration of the Many Worlds Hypothesis and the Double Slit Experiment as well as an explanation of Schrödinger's Cat.

__Quantum Suicide__
The Quantam Suicide experiement was independtly published by Max Tegmark in 1997. For this experiment, a man sits down in afront of a loaded gun. Wether or not it is fired is determined by the spin of the electron. If it is spin up, the gun doesn't go off. If it is spun down, the trigger goes off. According to the Mnay Worlds Hypothesis every outcome happens. Therefore, every time the gun is reloaded, in one world you would live, the other world you would die. Therefore, you will always exist in one world. This is called Quantam immortality. Many scientists such as Pepineau and Mallah have found quantam immortality hard to believe.

=__**History**__= The Many Worlds Hypothesis was formulated by a Princeton graduate named Hugh Everett. In 1954 Everett and two others, Charles Misner and Aage Petersen (who was an assistant to Neils Bohr), had the first idea of the Many Worlds Theory. During this session they were playing around with the implications of quantum mechanics. Everett and his team spent the next several weeks forming a thesis for their new concept titled "The Theory of the Universal Wavefunction". When this idea was first introduced, many scientists had their doubts. It didn't become popular until the 1960's when Bryce DeWitt renamed this concept "Many Worlds". Around the time Everett came up with this idea, The Copenhagen Interpretation was used to explain why the same quantum particles acted differently. The Copenhagnen Interpretation was created by Neils Bohr in 1920. “[Everett] was disappointed, perhaps bitter, at the nonreaction to his theory. How I wish that I had kept up the sessions with Everett. The questions that he brought up were important,” said John Wheeler, Everett's academic advisor at Princeton. In 1956, Wheeler traveled to Copenhagen to meet with Bohr and several other scientists. Everett, in jeopardy of losing his student draft deferment, moved to Washington D.C. and never came back to theoretical physics again. From then on, Everett worked at the Pentagon, advising Eisenhower and Kennedy administartions on the best methods for selecting hydrogen bomb targets and structuring the nuclear triad of bombers, submarines and missiles for optimal punch in a nuclear strike.

Byrne, Peter. "The Many Worlds of Hugh Everett." //Scientific American// 21 Oct. 2008. Print. Clark, Josh. "HowStuffWorks "How Quantum Suicide Works"" //Howstuffworks "Science"// Web. 6 Jan. 2010. []. "Hugh Everett III and the Many Worlds Theory." //Everything Forever: [|Learning] to See the Timeless Multiverse//. Web. 2 Jan. 2010. []. Jones, Andrew. "Many Worlds Interpretation (MWI) - What is the Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum ?" //Physics//. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. []. Michael. "Flash Forward: Many-Worlds Interpretation (Hugh Everett)." Web. 5 Jan. 2010. []. //Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives//. Prod. NOVA. Perf. Mark Everett. 2008.
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