|
Jeffrey A. Barrett
|
Position:
|
Associate Professor, Logic & Philosophy of Science
School of Social Sciences
|
Degree:
|
PH.D., Columbia University
|
Research
Interests: |
Philosophy of science, philosophy of physics, quantum mechanics, theory of knowledge, Everett, many worlds, Bohm, hidden variable theories, relativity, Peirce, pragmatism, belief revision models of knowledge, logic, probability
|
Research
Abstract:
|
I am interested in the philosophy of science and the theory of knowledge generally, but most of my research has been in the philosophy of physics. For the past few years I have been primarily thinking about attempts to resolve the measurement problem in quantum mechanics. The measurement problem arises from the fact that the standard theory's two dynamical laws are incompatible: one is linear and the other nonlinear. Since they constitute contradictory descriptions of the time-evolution of physical states, they threaten to render the standard theory logically inconsistent if one is unable to specify strictly disjoint conditions for when each applies. We are told that the linear dynamics is to be used in all situations except when a measurement is made in which case the nonlinear collapse dynamics is to be used. But this is exactly where the standard theory fails us--it does not tell us what constitutes a measurement, so we do not know when to apply the linear dynamics and when to apply the collapse dynamics. Much work has been done on the measurement problem. There have been several proposed solutions, but so far no proposal seems entirely satisfactory. My recent book gives an overview of my research on the Everett no-collapse tradition for solving the measurement problem.
|
Publications:
|
The Quantum Mechanics of Minds and Worlds, Oxford University Press (1999)
|
|
|
|
Many other publications
|
|
|
Address |
University of California
765 Social Science Tower
Mail Code: 5100
Irvine, CA 92697
|
Phone: | (949) 824-6333 |
Fax: | (949) 824-2379 |
Email: | jabarrett@uci.edu |
| Updated |
03/11/2002
|
Copyright (c) Regents of the University of California, 1997. All rights reserved.
Technical problems or comments to: webmaster Last update: f_profile.last_updt_dt
|