Probability of Self-Location in the Framework of the Many-Worlds Interpretation
The growing interest in the concept of probability of self-location of a conscious agent has created multiple controversies. Considering David Albert’s setup in which he described his worries about consistency of the concept, I identify the sources of these controversies and argue that defining “sel...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Entropy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/27/4/416 |
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| author | Lev Vaidman |
| author_facet | Lev Vaidman |
| author_sort | Lev Vaidman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The growing interest in the concept of probability of self-location of a conscious agent has created multiple controversies. Considering David Albert’s setup in which he described his worries about consistency of the concept, I identify the sources of these controversies and argue that defining “self” in an operational way provides a satisfactory meaning for the probability of self-location of an agent in a quantum world. It keeps the nontrivial feature of having subjective ignorance of self-location without ignorance about the state of the universe. It also allows defining the Born rule in the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and proving it from some natural assumptions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4343cadd975746448d9dfdd04dced2ad |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1099-4300 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Entropy |
| spelling | doaj-art-4343cadd975746448d9dfdd04dced2ad2025-08-20T02:28:14ZengMDPI AGEntropy1099-43002025-04-0127441610.3390/e27040416Probability of Self-Location in the Framework of the Many-Worlds InterpretationLev Vaidman0School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, IsraelThe growing interest in the concept of probability of self-location of a conscious agent has created multiple controversies. Considering David Albert’s setup in which he described his worries about consistency of the concept, I identify the sources of these controversies and argue that defining “self” in an operational way provides a satisfactory meaning for the probability of self-location of an agent in a quantum world. It keeps the nontrivial feature of having subjective ignorance of self-location without ignorance about the state of the universe. It also allows defining the Born rule in the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and proving it from some natural assumptions.https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/27/4/416n/a |
| spellingShingle | Lev Vaidman Probability of Self-Location in the Framework of the Many-Worlds Interpretation Entropy n/a |
| title | Probability of Self-Location in the Framework of the Many-Worlds Interpretation |
| title_full | Probability of Self-Location in the Framework of the Many-Worlds Interpretation |
| title_fullStr | Probability of Self-Location in the Framework of the Many-Worlds Interpretation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Probability of Self-Location in the Framework of the Many-Worlds Interpretation |
| title_short | Probability of Self-Location in the Framework of the Many-Worlds Interpretation |
| title_sort | probability of self location in the framework of the many worlds interpretation |
| topic | n/a |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/27/4/416 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT levvaidman probabilityofselflocationintheframeworkofthemanyworldsinterpretation |