From: Patrick Crenshaw (patrick.crenshaw@gmail.com)
Date: Sat Dec 11 2004 - 19:05:03 MST
The main problem I see is that the many-worlds thing is a
philosophical solution looking for a problem. There are much simpler
philosophical explanations than many-worlds and it is only to the
extent that they have predictive power that any of them are useful. I
don't think anyone has proposed an experiment that would differentiate
the many-worlds interpretation from the others.
The power of the many-worlds interpretation is mostly psychological.
It seems to me, and is the consensus among the people I know who
understand quantum mechanics, that some people, especially when they
learn it when they are older, just get weirded out by quantum
mechanics. If you look at quotes from physicists who were around near
the birth of quantum mechanics, you'll see this. Things like: "No one
understands quantum mechanics." My friends and I got really tired of
hearing freshmen quote things like this before they ever learned
quantum.
It is possible to understand quantum mechanics, and many people have
done it without resorting to philosophical nonsense.
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