The Many Worlds of the Quantum Multiverse | Space Time | PBS Digital Studios

Is our universe a definitive single reality or is it merely one within an infinitely branching multiverse? Be sure to check out Physics Girl’s Dianna Cowern for more awesome science https://www.youtube.com/c/physicsgirl

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The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics tells us that observation collapses a probability wave into a single definitive outcome, but this isn’t the only interpretation of quantum mechanics. The many worlds theory proposes that the wavefunction never actually collapses. The observer simply follows one of those many possible paths into their present reality while all the other paths continue on independent of the observer. Each of these paths branches off into an entirely different reality. In this episode Matt discusses the details of the many worlds theory and why it’s not so far-fetched to think that our reality is simply one of an infinite number of realities existing within space time.

Links to sources:

The Quantum Experiment that Broke Reality
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-MNSLsjjdo

Hugh Everett's Ph.D. Dissertation
http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/manyworlds/pdf/dissertation.pdf

Crazy Pool Vortex
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnbJEg9r1o8

Previous Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jowVq81AgGw

Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)