Comments on: The Envelope Please… http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:17:33 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Timelessness | Cosmic Variance | Discover Magazine http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/comment-page-1/#comment-79336 Timelessness | Cosmic Variance | Discover Magazine Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:04:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/#comment-79336 [...] the FQXi Essay Contest, I was asked to comment on some of the essays besides my own, but I never did. Mostly because I [...] [...] the FQXi Essay Contest, I was asked to comment on some of the essays besides my own, but I never did. Mostly because I [...]

]]> By: John http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/comment-page-1/#comment-70845 John Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:21:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/#comment-70845 It seems amazing that none of the authors mentioned quantum interference in the time domain. These are actual experiments demonstrating the existence of time in the same way as the classic double slit experiement demonstrates the existence of space. Horwitz, L.P. (2005) On the significance of a recent experiment demonstrating quantum interference in time. http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0507044 "I comment on the interpretation of a recent experiment showing quantum interference in time. It is pointed out that the standard nonrelativistic quantum theory, used by the authors in their analysis, cannot account for the results found, and therefore that this experiment has fundamental importance beyond the technical advances it represents. Some theoretical structures which consider the time as an observable, and thus could, in principle, have the required coherence in time, are discussed briefly, and the application of Floquet theory and the manifestly covariant quantum theory of Stueckelberg are treated in some detail. In particular, the latter is shown to account for the results in a simple and consistent way. " The authors also failed to take much note of the "extended present" See <a href="http://newempiricism.blogspot.com/2009/02/time-and-conscious-experience.html" rel="nofollow">Time and conscious experience</a> It seems amazing that none of the authors mentioned quantum interference in the time domain. These are actual experiments demonstrating the existence of time in the same way as the classic double slit experiement demonstrates the existence of space.

Horwitz, L.P. (2005) On the significance of a recent experiment demonstrating quantum interference in time. http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0507044

“I comment on the interpretation of a recent experiment showing quantum interference in time. It is pointed out that the standard nonrelativistic quantum theory, used by the authors in their analysis, cannot account for the results found, and therefore that this experiment has fundamental importance beyond the technical advances it represents. Some theoretical structures which consider the time as an observable, and thus could, in principle, have the required coherence in time, are discussed briefly, and the application of Floquet theory and the manifestly covariant quantum theory of Stueckelberg are treated in some detail. In particular, the latter is shown to account for the results in a simple and consistent way. ”

The authors also failed to take much note of the “extended present”

See Time and conscious experience

]]> By: celestial toymaker http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/comment-page-1/#comment-66563 celestial toymaker Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:19:14 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/#comment-66563 "..none of the other papers really had anything dramatically new either." You're being timeist. “..none of the other papers really had anything dramatically new either.”

You’re being timeist.

]]> By: Brian Mingus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/comment-page-1/#comment-66553 Brian Mingus Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:50:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/#comment-66553 Sean I'd be really interested to hear what you think about that winning essay. Sean I’d be really interested to hear what you think about that winning essay.

]]> By: haelfix http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/comment-page-1/#comment-66430 haelfix Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:24:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/#comment-66430 I rather liked Julians paper. It was well written and had interesting history facts that I was not aware off. Yea ok, I doubt it will shed much light on the problem (or lack thereof) of time perse in quantum gravity, but then again none of the other papers really had anything dramatically new either. I rather liked Julians paper. It was well written and had interesting history facts that I was not aware off. Yea ok, I doubt it will shed much light on the problem (or lack thereof) of time perse in quantum gravity, but then again none of the other papers really had anything dramatically new either.

]]> By: macho http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/comment-page-1/#comment-66180 macho Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:28:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/#comment-66180 Congratulations! If I survive a day on the ski slopes with my daughter, I intend to treat myself to an evening of fine Colorado whiskey and your essay. Congratulations! If I survive a day on the ski slopes with my daughter,
I intend to treat myself to an evening of fine Colorado whiskey and your
essay.

]]> By: this instant http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/comment-page-1/#comment-66170 this instant Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:53:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/#comment-66170 Sean, did you invent a time machine and view http://fqxi.org/community some time in the future? As of `right now' it says" BREAKING NEWS Essay contest announcement is imminent Sean, did you invent a time machine and view

http://fqxi.org/community

some time in the future?

As of `right now’ it says”

BREAKING NEWS
Essay contest announcement is imminent

]]> By: Ben Martin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/comment-page-1/#comment-66168 Ben Martin Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:41:34 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/#comment-66168 <I>"Barbour has a following, but I think you will find that remarkably few of them are professional physicists. "</I> Deary me. You really haven't got a clue what you're talking about, do you? “Barbour has a following, but I think you will find that remarkably few of them are professional physicists. “

Deary me. You really haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about, do you?

]]> By: Pope Maledict XVI http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/comment-page-1/#comment-66166 Pope Maledict XVI Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:35:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/#comment-66166 And by the way, obscurantists need not be obscure: alas. And by the way, obscurantists need not be obscure: alas.

]]> By: Pope Maledict XVI http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/comment-page-1/#comment-66165 Pope Maledict XVI Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:34:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/03/08/the-envelope-please/#comment-66165 "one of the most highly respected people in this particular field." Respected by whom? I just re-read his essay. Now, I'm not going to pretend that I know the answers to the mysteries of time. But I will bet my last Kuwaiti dinar that the problems associated with interpreting the Wheeler-De Witt equation will *not* be resolved by sophomore-level disquisitions on the definition of a clock. All that junk about clocks and meter sticks belongs in antiquated introductions to special relativity --- you know, the kind designed for over-eager undergraduates who are judged unripe for Minkowski space and "high-powered" mathematics like that.... Barbour has a following, but I think you will find that remarkably few of them are professional physicists. What the field needs is people like Carroll and Kiefer who can bring the right machinery to bear on it, not yet more vacuous philosophizing about the definition of clocks or "duration". “one of the most highly respected people in this particular field.”

Respected by whom? I just re-read his essay. Now, I’m not going to pretend that I know the answers to the mysteries of time. But I will bet my last Kuwaiti dinar that the problems associated with interpreting the Wheeler-De Witt equation will *not* be resolved by sophomore-level disquisitions on the definition of a clock. All that junk about clocks and meter sticks belongs in antiquated introductions to special relativity — you know, the kind designed for over-eager undergraduates who are judged unripe for Minkowski space and “high-powered” mathematics like that….

Barbour has a following, but I think you will find that remarkably few of them are professional physicists. What the field needs is people like Carroll and Kiefer who can bring the right machinery to bear on it, not yet more vacuous philosophizing about the definition of clocks or “duration”.

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