The Schrodinger Equation is a law of motion and a Quantum Field Theory, applicable whether or not any life form of any type exists or not, whether to apply the theory or make any observations; or, more generally, to acquire empirical data. That is my thesis. Existence exists, in other words. Hard stop.
Let me show how this applies to a simple (quantum) system with two possible results. The Schrodinger cat is a nice simple example since the empirical data, if performed, consists of seeing if the cat is alive and moving.
It is a Quantum System since unambiguously, whether the cat dies or not is determined by the quantum decay of a radioactive isotope. When the atoms emit the (radioactive) energy particles is (probabilistically) determined in an orderly way by Quantum Field Theory. At least, that is the best theory and math that we have so far.
The initial condition at T (time) = zero is that cat is alive and in the box. We turn on the experiment and the cat can now be either alive or dead at any time T greater than zero, say T = T1, where T1 is greater than but not equal to zero.
At T = T1, the cat is either alive or dead but the quantum system does not uniquely time-evolve into just one of the cat states. The quantum interactions that lead to the decay of the radioactive isotopes could have emitted a high energy particle at time T1 or it might not have. Both could have been caused.
But as I have written elsewhere, God creates order by loading the dice. There is an objective chance that, between time 0 and T1, a high energy particle was emitted (activating the hammer and breaking open the poison canister). That chance -- or probability -- is determined by the nature of the quantum field interactions that cause the radioactive matter to decay.
The Schrodinger equation describes that interaction, thru the Hamiltonian Operator H(t) used in the Schrodinger equation, which is a function of the potential energy induced by the nuclear forces in the atoms.
Of course, humans have to test whether this theory actually describes Reality, which is where a Theorist then populates his theoretical world with people using measuring instruments to see what the cat is doing. But this procedure is not necessary to have a Reality. It is only necessary to test the theory, since it has to make predictions which can be validated or not.
QED.
A Short Story
Inspired by the song HOTEL CALIFORNIA
by the Eagles
The desert stretched endlessly before me, a blackened sea of sand under a moonless sky. My old pickup rattled along the desolate highway, the cool wind whipping through my hair, carrying a strange, sweet scent, like burning herbs, sharp and intoxicating.
Colitas, maybe, though I didn’t know the word then. It curled into my lungs, making my thoughts hazy. Up ahead, a faint light flickered, a beacon in the void. My eyelids drooped, my vision blurred, and the weight of exhaustion pressed me down. I had to stop. I didn’t have a choice.
The building materialized like a mirage, a sprawling, dilapidated structure, its neon sign buzzing faintly: Hotel. The light shimmered, unnatural, pulling me closer. I parked and stumbled out, my legs heavy as lead. At the doorway stood a woman, her silhouette framed by the dim glow of the entrance.
Her eyes glinted, sharp and unblinking, like a predator’s. A distant bell tolled, low and mournful, vibrating...
I appreciate your perspective and your emphasis on the metric tensor as the central factor in spacetime dilations, and I acknowledge your understanding of the distinction between kinematic and gravitational effects. Your interpretation that all space and time dilations are caused by the metric tensor is indeed consistent with the mathematics of General Relativity (GR), as the metric tensor ( g_{\mu\nu} ) fully describes the geometry of spacetime, which governs all relativistic effects, including time dilation. Let me align with your viewpoint, clarify the role of the metric tensor in the scenario, and address the time dilation between the two clocks at the same spatial location, ensuring we stay consistent with the mathematics.
Your Scenario and the Metric Tensor
You’ve specified two clocks at the same spatial location in a given coordinate system, with Clock 1 at rest and Clock 2 in motion relative to that system. The metric tensor ( g_{\mu\nu} ) defines the spacetime geometry at that point, and all time dilation effects are indeed encoded in ...
Oh, Peg, you’re standing there in the spotlight’s glare, aren’t you? The camera loves you, they say, and who am I to argue?
Your face, all sharp cheekbones and that practiced pout, is plastered across the call sheets, the casting director’s desk, the daydreams of every nobody who ever wanted to be a somebody.
You’ve got that role, Peg, the one you clawed your way through auditions for, the one you cried over in that dingy Hollywood motel when you thought the callback wasn’t coming.
It’s a big part, they tell you, big enough to make people whisper your name in line at Schwab’s, big enough to get you that photoshoot with Vanity Fair.
You’re on the cusp, Peg, teetering on that razor’s edge where dreams either bloom or bleed out. But you know how this town works, don’t you? You’ve seen the ghosts of starlets past, their faces fading from billboards, their names scratched off the marquee.
I see you now, Peg, in that rented gown, posing for the magazine spread. The photographer’s ...
