Science and Ultimate Reality

Quantum Theory, Cosmology and Complexity

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Edited by John D. Barrow, Paul C. W. Davies and Charles L. Harper

Cambridge University Press

Due/Published April 2004, 600 pages, cloth

ISBN 052183113X

This snapshot of the future of physics comprises contributions from recognized authorities inspired by the pioneering work of John Wheeler. Quantum theory represents a unifying theme within the book, as it relates to the topics of the nature of physical reality, cosmic inflation, the arrow of time, models of the universe, superstrings, quantum gravity and cosmology. Attempts to formulate a final unification of physics are also considered, along with the existence of hidden dimensions of space, hidden cosmic matter, and the strange world of quantum technology.

Contributors: John A. Wheeler, Kenneth W. Ford, Paul C. W. Davies, David Deutsch, Bryce S. DeWitt, Freeman J. Dyson, Lucien Hardy, Juan C. Maldacena, Juan Pablo Paz, H. Dieter Zeh, Wojciech H. Zurek, Raymond Y. Chiao, Serge Haroche, Paul G. Kwiat, Berthold-Georg Englert, Hideo Mabuchi, Christopher R. Monroe, Aephraim M. Steinberg, Andreas Albrecht, John D. Barrow, Andrei Linde, Joao Magueijo, Fotini G. Markopoulou, Lisa J. Randall, Lee Smolin, Max Tegmark, Philip D. Clayton, George F. R. Ellis, Marcelo Gleiser, Stuart A. Kauffman, Shoucheng Zhang, Anton Zeilinger, Jaroslav Pelikan

Contents

Foreword John A. Wheeler
Editor's preface John D. Barrow, Paul Davies and Charles Harper, Jr.
Preface Freeman J. Dyson

Part I. An Overview of the Contributions of John Archibald Wheeler: 1. John Archibald Wheeler and the clash of ideas Paul C. W. Davies

Part II. An Historian's Tribute to John Archibald Wheeler and Scientific Speculation Through the Ages: 2. The heritage of Heraclitus: John Archibald Wheeler and the itch to speculate Jaroslav Pelikan

Part III. Quantum Reality - Theory: 3. Why is nature described by quantum theory? Lucien Hardy
4. Thought experiments in honor of John Wheeler Freeman J. Dyson
5. It from qubit David Deutsch
6. The wave function: it or bit? H. Dieter Zeh
7. Quantum Darwinism and envariance Wojciech H. Zurek
8. Using qubits to learn about it Juan Pablo Paz
9. Quantum gravity as an ordinary gauge theory Juan M. Maldacena
10. The Everett interpretation of quantum mechanics Bryce S. DeWitt

Part IV. Quantum Reality - Experiment: 11. Why the quantum? It from bit? A participatory universe? Three far-reaching, visionary questions from John Archibald Wheeler and how they inspired a quantum experimentalist Anton Zeilinger
12. Speakable and unspeakable, past and future Aephraim M. Steinberg
13. Conceptual tensions between quantum mechanics and general relativity: are there experimental consequences? Raymond Y. Chiao
14. Breeding non-local Schrödinger cats: a thought experiment to explore the quantum classical boundary Serge Haroche
15. Quantum erasing the nature of reality - or, perhaps, the reality of nature? Paul G. Kwiat and Berthold-Georg Englert
16. Quantum feedback and the quantum-classical transition Hideo Mabuchi
17. What quantum computers may tell us about quantum mechanics Christopher R. Monroe

Part V. Big Questions in Cosmology: 18. Cosmic inflation and the arrow of time Andreas Albrecht
19. Cosmology and immutability John D. Barrow
20. Quantum cosmology, inflation, and the anthropic principle Andrei Linde
21. Parallel universes Max Tegmark
22. Quantum theories of gravity: results and prospects Lee Smolin
23. A genuinely evolving universe Joao Magueijo
24. Planck-scale models of the universe Fotini G. Markopoulou
25. Implications of additional spatial dimensions to questions in cosmology Lisa Randall

Part VI. Emergence, Life, and Related Topics: 26. Emergence: us from it Philip D. Clayton
27. True complexity and its associated ontology George F. R. Ellis
28. The three origins: cosmos, life and mind Marcelo Gleiser
29. Autonomous agents Stuart A. Kauffman
30. To see a world in a grain of sand Shou-Gheng Zhang

Appendix A. Science and ultimate reality program committees
Appendix B. Young researchers competition in honor of John Archibald Wheeler for physics graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and young faculty.