What is Many worlds interpretation: Definition and 59 Discussions

The many-worlds interpretation (MWI) is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that asserts that the universal wavefunction is objectively real, and that there is no wavefunction collapse. This implies that all possible outcomes of quantum measurements are physically realized in some "world" or universe. In contrast to some other interpretations, such as the Copenhagen interpretation, the evolution of reality as a whole in MWI is rigidly deterministic. Many-worlds is also called the relative state formulation or the Everett interpretation, after physicist Hugh Everett, who first proposed it in 1957. Bryce DeWitt popularized the formulation and named it many-worlds in the 1960s and 1970s.In many-worlds, the subjective appearance of wavefunction collapse is explained by the mechanism of quantum decoherence. Decoherence approaches to interpreting quantum theory have been widely explored and developed since the 1970s, and have become quite popular. MWI is now considered a mainstream interpretation along with the other decoherence interpretations, collapse theories (including the Copenhagen interpretation), and hidden variable theories such as Bohmian mechanics.
The many-worlds interpretation implies that there are very many universes, perhaps infinitely many. It is one of many multiverse hypotheses in physics and philosophy. MWI views time as a many-branched tree, wherein every possible quantum outcome is realised. This is intended to resolve some paradoxes of quantum theory, such as the EPR paradox and Schrödinger's cat, since every possible outcome of a quantum event exists in its own universe.

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  1. I

    Possible argument in favor of many worlds interpretation

    Please forgive me if I am hideously wrong in any of my points. I am not terribly well-versed in quantum physics. Alright. This all began when I was thinking of a somewhat speculative and arguably philosophical idea that probably wouldn't have much of a place on this forum. My train of...
  2. rrw4rusty

    Questions on Many Worlds Interpretation

    Hi! I've seen videos depicting the ‘Many Worlds Interpretation’ of quantum physics which show T-Rex stomping through your living room because the K2 Event didn’t take place in that parallel universe, you know the hype you see on the MWI. While probably, no one ‘really’ thinks this is...
  3. U

    Postulates of many worlds interpretation of QM

    I am interested to see a clear enumeration of the postulates of this interpretation. There seem to be something fuzzy about how MWI describes what we call "reality". It might be a problem with the theory or, more probable, a misunderstanding of my part. Here is a list I found on Google...
  4. B

    IQ 195 Genius Challenges the Many Worlds Interpretation

    Earlier today, I saw a show that had the smartest man in America with an IQ of 195 who is working on a Cognitive - Theoretic Model of the Universe. He attacks the MWI with: What do Many-Worlders think about a statement such as this coming from an intelligent person?
  5. R

    Many Worlds Interpretation Experiment

    I recently learned about the Many Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics from another post on this forum. Unfortunately, the post became more of an argument about whether some experiment had or hadn't proven this interpretation to be true, and there wasn't a whole lot of information on what...
  6. T

    Many Worlds Interpretation justifies Selfishness

    I wasn't sure where to put this thread because it is about moral philosophy but depends on your understanding of quantum mechanics. I'll try to keep quantum mechanics out of it and just explain what results from the Many Worlds Interpretation (MWI) of what's happening in quantum mechanics (QM)...
  7. B

    Many Worlds Interpretation of SR

    Special Relativity predicts that moving clocks run slow, mass and length are variable and simultaneity is relative. These are 'real' phenomena and leads me to think that the reality of one observer (the passing of time, all physical properties and space-time events) can be regarded as 'his...
  8. M

    Question about the Many Worlds Interpretation

    I was learning about the "Many Worlds" interpretation of QM, and it got me to thinking. In some ways, doesn't it contradict the laws of thermodynamics? I came up with the following thought experiment: Suppose that you had a gas containing nitrogen and oxygen in a homogeneous mixture, in a...
  9. C

    Question About Many Worlds Interpretation

    After having researched on many different Websites the Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, it seems to me as if there are two positions defended by physicists: Position 1: All the outcomes of a system actually happen in reality. That is, every time a choice is made all possible...
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