Retrocausality & The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics|Ruth Kastner

Ruth Kastner joins Curt Jaimungal to discuss her transactional interpretation (TI) of quantum mechanics, addressing the measurement problem, retrocausality, and the integration of quantum mechanics and gravity. Kastner advocates for a paradigm shift in physics, urging researchers to embrace complexity and nuance in understanding quantum phenomena and reality.

Links Mentioned:

Ruth Kastner’s blog: https://transactionalinterpretation.o...

Ruth Kastner’s books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ruth-E....

Ruth Kastner’s papers: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/...

Ruth’s paper on the Afshar experiment: https://arxiv.org/pdf/quant-ph/0502021

Ruth’s talk with Jeffrey Mishlove:    • The Transactional Interpretation of Q...  

Julian Barbour on TOE:    • The Physicist Who Says Time Doesn't E...  

Curt reads Plato’s Cave:    • Plato's Cave - The FULL Story [Curt r...  

The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: The Reality of Possibility (book): https://www.amazon.com/Transactional-...

Avshalom Elitzur on TOE:    • The Universe Writes Itself Into Exist...  

Is There Really "Retrocausation" in Time-Symmetric Approaches to Quantum Mechanics? (paper): https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/1228...

The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: The Reality of Possibility Second Edition (book): https://www.amazon.com/Transactional-...

Roger Penrose on TOE:    • 20th Century’s Greatest Living Scient...  

Neil Degrasse Tyson on TOE:    • The Unmasking of Neil deGrasse Tyson  

Formscapes (YouTube channel):    / @formscapes  

The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Nonlocality (Cramer’s article): https://arxiv.org/pdf/1503.00039

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
01:40 The Measurement Problem Unraveled
09:17 Understanding Measurement Interaction
11:27 Exploring Feynman Diagrams
16:25 Observers vs. Measurers
20:58 The Nature of Measurement
22:19 Probabilistic Outcomes Explained
28:52 Emission and Absorption Defined
34:40 Entities and Their Reality
38:03 The Emergence of Space-Time
41:14 Distinguishing Theories and Anomalies
42:56 The Challenges of Independent Scholarship
46:23 Defining the Conventional Approach
48:33 Formulating the Transactional Axioms
50:34 Kramer's Perspective on Transactional Theory
1:07:22 Retrocausality and Block World Dynamics
1:07:43 Science Fiction and Time Travel
1:14:04 Emergence of Space-Time Events
1:27:23 Weak and Strong Forces
1:36:10 Transition from Physics to Philosophy
1:39:53 The Nature of Free Will
1:45:36 Consciousness and Physicalism
1:54:51 Challenges to Materialism
2:05:47 Advice for Future Generations
2:07:41 Conclusion and Acknowledgments

Discovering Multiple Possibilities in Quantum Theory with Ruth Kastner from the series "Multiple Universes: Parallel Worlds in Quantum Physics, Cosmology and Imagination"

In her presentation Ruth discussed the need for a paradigm change in the way we think about the world. When she says ‘we,’ she means primarily the Western scientific tradition and its attendant metaphysical and epistemological background assumptions, which have led to intractable problems in making sense of quantum theory. Among the assumptions leading us into this cul-de-sac are the empiricist notion that anything real must be tangible, and the Democritan notions that (1) a container called ‘spacetime’ is the delimiter for all real objects and that (2) real entities are separable, localizable ‘things’ that move from place to place in a local manner (as opposed to processes). A further Western background assumption is the notion that all dynamical action occurs in a unilateral fashion: e.g., that a physical quantity (e.g. energy) is emitted by one entity that does all the work and ends up at another spacetime point as a purely passive, secondary effect. The latter can be understood as a ‘Yang-only’ view of interactions, where Yang-type processes are generation, initiation, and creation. In contrast, Yin-type processes include reception, response, and dissolution. The Western paradigm neglects this latter aspect, and one consequence is that it has for many years overlooked an approach to field propagation that could shed new light on the physical meaning of quantum theory.

Ruth also connects our current quantum conundrum to the insights of physician/psychologist Iain McGilchrist, who has argued that Western culture has emphasized left-brain thinking (based on separation, analysis, and control) and neglected right-brain thinking (based on holism, synthesis, and intuition), which is equally valid and necessary. This holistic aspect includes the mode of possibility, while the analytical, left-brain component sees only actuality. Hans Reichenbach (expressing a minority view among philosophers of science) insightfully remarked that ‘the flow of time is a real becoming in which potentiality is transformed into actuality.’ The paradigm change required by quantum theory includes the recognition that potentiality, or possibility (the intangible level described by quantum states and processes) is just as real as actuality (tangible spacetime phenomena). Thus, quantum theory opens the door to an understanding that the phenomenal level of our experience rests upon a vast ocean of possibility from which creativity and the manifest level of life and experience emerges.

Ruth E. Kastner earned her M.S. in Physics and Ph.D. in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Maryland. Since that time, she has taught widely and conducted research in Foundations of Physics, particularly in interpretations of quantum theory. She is the author of 3 books: The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Theory: The Reality of Possibility (Cambridge University Press, 2012; 2nd edition forthcoming in Fall 2021), Understanding Our Unseen Reality: Solving Quantum Riddles (Imperial College Press, 2015); and Adventures In Quantumland: Exploring Our Unseen Reality (World Scientific, 2019). She has presented talks and interviews throughout the world and in video recordings on the interpretational challenges of quantum theory.