Category Archives: Skepticism

Q: If the universe gets split in the Many Worlds Interpretation, then why aren’t all probabilities 50/50? Does stuff get spread thinner and thinner with each split?

Posted on November 30, 2020 by The Physicist

The original question from “A” was: I’m reading Sean Carroll’s book Something Deeply Hidden, which is entirely about Many Worlds, and I’m following along for the most part, but there’s something I still don’t understand. […] Carroll considers an example … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Paranoia, Philosophical, Physics, Quantum Theory, Skepticism | 12 Comments

Q: Do we actually live in a computer simulation?

Posted on September 30, 2019 by The Physicist

Physicist: This has become a whole thing. Although it has shown up in a lot of incarnations throughout history, the most recent is something like this: Computers are getting better all the time and some day artificial reality will be … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Computer Science, Paranoia, Philosophical, Skepticism | 15 Comments

Q: Does quantum mechanics really say there are other “mes”? Where are they?

Posted on February 26, 2017 by The Physicist

Physicist: As much of a trope as “Other Quantum Worlds” has become in sci-fi, there are reasons to think that they may be a real thing; including “other yous”. Here’s the idea. Superposition is a real thing One of the … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Philosophical, Physics, Quantum Theory, Skepticism | 33 Comments

Q: Does anti-matter really move backward through time?

Posted on November 19, 2016 by The Physicist

Physicist: The very short answer is: yes, but not in time-traveler-kind-of-way. There is a “symmetry” in physics implied by our most fundamental understanding of physical law, and is never violated by any known process, that’s called the “CPT symmetry“. It … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Particle Physics, Physics, Skepticism | 10 Comments

Q: How many times do you need to roll dice before you know they’re loaded?

Posted on August 22, 2014 by The Physicist

Physicist: A nearly equivalent question might be “how can you prove freaking anything?”. In empirical science (science involving tests and whatnot) things are never “proven”. Instead of asking “is this true?” or “can I prove this?” a scientist will often … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Experiments, Math, Philosophical, Skepticism | 5 Comments

Q: What are “delayed choice experiments”? Can “wave function collapse” be used to send information?

Posted on October 4, 2013 by The Physicist

Physicist: There are a lot of big claims made about entanglement, but there are two carved-in-stone facts that help cut through some of the more grandiose claims. First, (maximally) entangled states always act exactly like a perfectly random state, until … Continue reading →