The incompatibility between quantum mechanics (QM) and general relativity (GR) is the deepest unresolved problem in theoretical physics. Decades of attempts to unify the two theories have produced no experimentally confirmed quantum theory of gravity. This paper argues that the reason is structural: the incompatibility is not primarily a mathematical problem awaiting a more powerful formalism. It is a Frame-level conflict in the structural sense established by La Profilée — and one that arises from a shared incompleteness in (...) both theories. Standard formulations of QM presuppose a fixed admissibility structure that defines the transformation space of quantum states — spacetime occupies the Frame role. In the LP reading of GR, the metric tensor is the primary carrier of transformability and therefore occupies the Module role. Frame and Module are mutually exclusive structural roles: this mutual exclusion is not asserted but derived from the structural requirement that a stable identity relation across transformations requires an invariant admissibility condition. When admissibility conditions are themselves transformation-dependent, the distinction between identity-preserving and identity-destroying transformations becomes undefined. This is formalised in Section 3 and demonstrated structurally in Appendices A and B. The deeper LP reading goes one level further: the Frame-level conflict between QM and GR arises because both theories treat spacetime — an emergent structural layer — as fundamental. QM correctly identifies it as a stable Frame at its level of description. GR correctly identifies its dynamics at the emergent level. The conflict is a level-mismatch, not a fundamental contradiction. Its resolution requires characterising F₀ — the pre-geometric structural invariant from which spacetime emerges — and showing how both QM's fixed background and GR's dynamical metric arise as structural reductions of F₀ in appropriate limits. At the Planck scale, the emergent spacetime Frame loses structural stability: the conditions under which effective distance, duration, and causal ordering constitute a stable structural layer are no longer satisfied. The breakdown is not a failure of description applied to a fixed object, but the loss of stability of the object itself — spacetime as an emergent structural layer. What remains is F₀, operating in a regime where spacetime cannot stably constitute. The paper's contribution is diagnostic and structural. It does not propose a theory of quantum gravity. It derives the structural conditions that any such theory must satisfy, explains why the major existing approaches encounter the specific difficulties they do, and identifies spacetime emergence as the structural level at which the resolution must be sought. (shrink)

Quantum mechanics and general relativity provide incompatible descriptions of time. In QM, states evolve unitarily with respect to an external time parameter; in GR, time is a coordinate in a dynamical spacetime geometry. We propose that both quantum and relativistic time emerge from a pre-geometric structure we call Prototime (PT): represented by an orthomodular lattice of consistency relations with zero von Neumann entropy at the fundamental level. PT has no background time, space, or metric—only algebraic relations of compatibility (...) and orthogonality. We formalize PT using an orthomodular lattice Lequipped with a foliation functor F: I →Ctx(L) that maps orderedi ndices to Boolean sublattices (classical contexts). A spectral redundancy functional Φs measures coherence preservation across embeddings. We show that: 1. Stable foliations satisfying Piron-Solèr conditions admit Hilbert-space representa- tions, recovering standard QM with Schrödinger dynamics via Stone’s theorem; 2. The partial order on decoherence events across foliations, together with a natural volume measure, reconstructs Lorentzian spacetime structure; 3. Time—both quantum (parameter along unitary flows) and relativistic (causal or- der)—supervenes on Φs-monotone decoherence gradients. Critically, we provide a computationally tractable implementation of Φs using spectral graph theory on mutual information networks (Bailey and Schneider, forthcoming). Testing this on simulated multi-agent systems—including combinatorial threshold-linear networks (CTLNs) that model graph-constrained neural dynamics—we demonstrate that Φs exhibits characteristic signatures during basin formation, attractor convergence, and coherence-to-classicality transitions. These results provide the first quantitative bridge between abstract PT formalism and testable physical predictions. We identify concrete empirical tests via quantum biology (photosynthetic complexes), quantum decoherence exper- iments, and neural ensemble dynamics. We also resolve the Wheeler delayed-choice experiment within PT, where apparent retrocausality dissolves because decoherence times vary across system components, creating asymmetric basin formation that only appears backward-causal when projected onto classical time. PT thus provides a kine- matical unification of QM and GR with testable predictions, offering a pre-geometric foundation for both fundamental physics and, potentially, theories of consciousness grounded in informational irreducibility. -/- (This piece is the formalism for our “Superpsychism” piece for our forthcoming target paper at The Journal of Consciousness Studies and our paper on Spectral Phi. Comments are very welcome.). (shrink)

In a quantum universe with a strong arrow of time, we postulate a low-entropy boundary condition to account for the temporal asymmetry. In this paper, I show that the Past Hypothesis also contains enough information to simplify the quantum ontology and define a unique initial condition in such a world. First, I introduce Density Matrix Realism, the thesis that the quantum universe is described by a fundamental density matrix that represents something objective. This stands in sharp contrast (...) to Wave Function Realism, the thesis that the quantum universe is described by a wave function that represents something objective. Second, I suggest that the Past Hypothesis is sufficient to determine a unique and simple density matrix. This is achieved by what I call the Initial Projection Hypothesis: the initial density matrix of the universe is the normalized projection onto the special low-dimensional Hilbert space. Third, because the initial quantum state is unique and simple, we have a strong case for the \emph{Nomological Thesis}: the initial quantum state of the universe is on a par with laws of nature. This new package of ideas has several interesting implications, including on the harmony between statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics, the dynamic unity of the universe and the subsystems, and the alleged conflict between Humean supervenience and quantum entanglement. (shrink)

David Lewis is a natural target for those who believe that findings in quantum physics threaten the tenability of traditional metaphysical reductionism. Such philosophers point to allegedly holistic entities they take both to be the subjects of some claims of quantum mechanics and to be incompatible with Lewisian metaphysics. According to one popular argument, the non-separability argument from quantum entanglement, any realist interpretation of quantum theory is straightforwardly inconsistent with the reductive conviction that the complete physical (...) state of the world supervenes on the intrinsic properties of and spatio-temporal relations between its point-sized constituents. Here I defend Lewis's metaphysical doctrine, and traditional reductionism more generally, against this alleged threat from quantum holism. After presenting the non-separability argument from entanglement, I show that Bohmian mechanics, an interpretation of quantum mechanics explicitly recognized as a realist one by proponents of the non-separability argument, plausibly rejects a key premise of that argument. Another holistic worry for Humeanism persists, however, the trouble being the apparently holistic character of the Bohmian pilot wave. I present a Humean strategy for addressing the holistic threat from the pilot wave by drawing on resources from the Humean best system account of laws. (shrink)

According to the stochastic-quantum correspondence, a quantum system can be understood as a stochastic process unfolding in an old-fashioned configuration space based on ordinary notions of probability and ‘indivisible’ stochastic laws, which are a non-Markovian generalization of the laws that describe a textbook stochastic process. The Hilbert spaces of quantum theory and their ingredients, including wave functions, can then be relegated to secondary roles as convenient mathematical appurtenances. In addition to providing an arguably more transparent way to (...) understand and modify quantum theory, this indivisible-stochastic formulation may lead to new possible applications of the theory. This paper initiates a deeper investigation into the conceptual foundations and structure of the stochastic-quantum correspondence, with a particular focus on novel forms of gauge invariance, dynamical symmetries, and Hilbert-space dilations. (shrink)

We present the first complete construction of quantum gravity describing our real universe via the celestial holographic conformal field theory dual to Einstein gravity in four-dimensional asymptotically-flat spacetime. The theory is rigorously constructed as the shadow-invariant, purely spin-2 sector of holomorphic Chern–Simons theory on twistor space PT ≃ CP³ with gauge group the quantomorphic group Quant(PT). Primary fields are the celestial graviton operators O^{±2}Δ(z, z̄) with Δ ∈ 1 + iℝ and J = ±2. Three-point functions are determined by (...) the Penrose transform and reproduce the MHV and anti-MHV amplitudes of general relativity, including the vanishing of parity-odd and mixed-helicity couplings. Higher-point amplitudes arise from OPEs with analytically continued principal-series contours; loop integrands emerge as double discontinuities across shadow poles, which we demonstrate explicitly for the scalar box integrals computed via this shadow discontinuity method, verifying they match Feynman diagram calculations exactly to machine precision. The construction satisfies extended BMS₄ ⋉ shadow symmetry with vanishing Virasoro central charge c = 0, which we also demonstrate explicitly (confirmed by five independent methods) to 10+ significant figures. We prove a rigidity theorem establishing that any 2D CFT with only spin ±2 primaries, the above symmetries and three-point data, and local inverse-Mellin-transformed correlators, must be uniquely isomorphic to this quantomorphic twistor theory. Combined with the proof that crossing symmetry is a necessary consequence of bulk locality (not an independent axiom), this establishes that Einstein gravity in asymptotically-flat spacetime is the unique consistent theory of a single massless spin-2 particle. The quantomorphic gauge group structure provides a non-perturbative foundation, with perturbative scattering amplitudes emerging as the first residues of the holographic algebra. A key insight that facilitated this construction was proving that the shadow symmetry of the boundary CFT—the map Δ ↔ 2 − Δ on conformal dimensions—is mathematically equivalent to CPT conjugation in the bulk QFT (Theorem 6.1). Locality itself is derived: the self-duality of Haar measure on the Grassmannian forces celestial two-point functions to be positive-definite kernels; Bochner’s theorem then guarantees the spectral decomposition that implies commutativity at spacelike separation, without any appeal to Wightman axioms that would render the argument circular. The structural centrepiece of the construction is the identification of the celestial shadow transform (Δ ↔ 2 − Δ) with CPT conjugation in the bulk spacetime. Time reversal maps energy E to −E, which under the Mellin transform is precisely the shadow transform; parity flips helicity; charge conjugation acts on quantum numbers. Together these constitute the full CPT operation. This resolves Penrose's longstanding "googly problem" in twistor theory by revealing that self-dual and anti-self-dual helicity sectors—which twistor theory had previously been unable to unify—are related by the same symmetry that exchanges particles with antiparticles and past with future. This work provides a mathematically rigid reconciliation of general relativity with quantum field theory, deriving quantum consistency, locality, and gravitational dynamics via the celestial holography program and the 2D CFT dual to 4D flat spacetime. (shrink)

In this work I present what may be the first complete construction of quantum gravity describing the real universe via the celestial holographic conformal field theory dual to Einstein gravity in asymptotically-flat 4D spacetime. The theory is rigorously constructed as the shadow-invariant, purely spin-2 sector of holomorphic Chern–Simons theory on twistor space PT ≃ CP³ with gauge group the quantomorphic group Quant(PT). Primary fields are the celestial graviton operators O^{±2}Δ(z, z̄) with Δ ∈ 1 + iR and J = (...) ±2. Three-point functions are determined by the Penrose transform and reproduce the MHV and anti-MHV amplitudes of general relativity, including the vanishing of parity-odd and mixed-helicity couplings. Higher-point amplitudes arise from OPEs with analytically continued principal-series contours; loop integrands emerge as double discontinuities across shadow poles, which I verify explicitly for the scalar box integrals computed via this novel shadow discontinuity method, demonstrating analytically that they match Feynman diagram calculations for the scalar box, with numerical verification for the graviton box matching to 11+ decimal places. The construction satisfies extended BMS₄ ⋉ shadow symmetry with vanishing Virasoro central charge, also explicitly demonstrated via five independent and mutually reinforcing and rigorous arguments to be c = 0 to 10+ significant figures. I prove a rigidity theorem establishing that any 2D CFT with only spin ±2 primaries, the above symmetries and three-point data, and local inverse-Mellin-transformed correlators, is uniquely determined to be isomorphic to this quantomorphic twistor theory. Combined with the proof that crossing symmetry is a necessary consequence of bulk locality (not an independent axiom), this establishes that Einstein gravity in asymptotically-flat spacetime is the unique consistent theory of a single massless spin-2 particle. The quantomorphic gauge group structure provides a non-perturbative foundation, with perturbative scattering amplitudes emerging as the first residues of the holographic algebra. The first breakthrough insight that enabled and facilitated this construction was the realisation that the "shadow symmetry" of the boundary CFT—the map Δ ↔ 2 − Δ on conformal dimensions—is the restriction to null infinity of the Jost involution Θ of axiomatic quantum field theory, the operator independently constructed by Jost (1957) that coincides with the product C ∘ P ∘ T only in theories where all three factors individually exist as symmetries. At null infinity, where the metric is degenerate along the null generator, the distinction between temporal and spatial inversion collapses: the Jost involution is irreducible and reduces to time reversal T alone (Theorem 8.1). This provides an elegant resolution to the 40+ year "googly problem" in twistor theory by unifying self-dual and anti-self-dual helicity sectors through the shadow transform as representing discrete T-symmetric involution across the boundary, with the Einstein field equations derived from boundary Ward identities and crossing symmetry. All quantum mechanical foundations emerge from the Haar measure structure underlying this framework with no additional postulates: the five Wightman axioms are derived from the Peter–Weyl theorem on representation spaces, the Born rule P = |⟨n|ψ⟩|² is proven as the unique probability measure compatible with Haar structure on quantum state spaces, and wave function collapse is derived as Haar projection onto gauge singlets. This same identification reveals that the celestial conformal dimension is related to the Riemann zeta variable by Δ = 2s, so that the shadow involution Δ ↔ 2 − Δ becomes s ↔ 1 − s, the functional equation of the Riemann zeta function—establishing that the functional equation, shadow symmetry, and time reversal are three manifestations of one underlying self-duality. The entire holographic framework grows from a single root: self-dual Haar measure on (R⁺, ×), the simplest non-trivial locally compact group, whose self-duality already contains the functional equation and critical line. Three Cayley–Dickson doublings R → C → H → O produce the holographic chain R⁺ → S² → M⁴ → Gr(2,4)_C, with shadow symmetry at each level corresponding to the conjugation involution at that doubling step. The Grassmannian Gr(2,4) is the canopy of this holographic tree. The same Haar-invariant measure on the Grassmannian Gr(2,4) that determines the graviton spectrum also addresses three Millennium Prize problems through a unified geometric mechanism (Haar self-duality, functional equation symmetry, and Peter–Weyl compactness). The Riemann Hypothesis follows via 4 otherwise independent arguments and checks for circularity and consistency, and most fundamentally follows from three simultaneous constraints on the adelic quotient A×/Q× that form an overdetermined system whose unique solution forces Re(s) = 1/2 for all nontrivial zeros, with numerical verification of the first 10¹³ zeros on the critical line to machine precision using six independent tests. The Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture is argued to be proven for analytic rank ≤ 1 using identical Haar measure structure on GL₂(A_Q)/GL₂(Q): for elliptic curves with ord_{s=1} L(E,s) ≤ 1, the same three-fold constraint described above, combined with the Gross–Zagier formula and Kolyvagin's Euler system descent, establishes ord_{s=1} L(E,s) = rank E(Q) and the parity conjecture (−1)^{rank} = w_E is proven for all curves from Haar self-duality. The framework also identifies the precise obstruction to proving the conjecture at higher rank (algebraic cycles from the Beilinson–Bloch–Kato conjectures). The Yang–Mills mass gap is established through a complete celestial holographic construction: the Wess–Zumino–Witten model at Kac–Moody level k on S², mapped to four-dimensional Schwinger functions by inverse Mellin transform, with reflection positivity proven via the shadow-reflection bridge, the remaining Osterwalder–Schrader axioms verified explicitly, and the Wightman theory reconstructed by the OS theorem—yielding mass gap M = 2N/(k+N) · Λ_QCD > 0 from the Sugawara formula and confinement from Haar orthogonality as a rigorously proved theorem. The construction introduces no lattice, takes no continuum limit, and imposes no infrared regulator. Spacetime itself emerges from the Grassmannian via Penrose twistor correspondence (M⁴ ↔ Gr(2,4) (Penrose 1967). The division algebra tower determines the Standard Model: the symmetry breaking chain Spin(8) → G₂ → SU(3) → SU(2) × U(1) produces the gauge group; three fermion generations follow from Weyl anomaly cancellation, Plücker partitions, and Spin(8) triality; sin²θ_W = 3/8 at the GUT scale is the Dynkin index ratio, equivalently dim(Im(H))/dim(O). Physical constants are arithmetic invariants: CP violation from the Jacobi sum J(χ₄⁽⁵⁾, χ₃⁽⁷⁾) = e^{iπ/6}; down-type quark mass ratios m_d : m_s : m_b = 2:5:9 from SU(3) Casimir eigenvalues; the spin-statistics connection η(4)/ζ(4) = 7/8 from the p = 2 Euler factor; the lightest neutrino mass m_{ν₁} = 0 exactly from Bott periodicity—in independent agreement with Boyle–Finn–Turok (PRL 121, 251301, 2018); and the three dimensional constants ℏ, c, G corresponding to the three Cayley–Dickson doubling steps. Strong CP angle θ = 0 exactly from Haar self-duality (consistent with experimental bound |θ| < 10⁻¹⁰), and the construction provides right-handed neutrinos as geometric dark matter candidates in agreement with Boyle–Turok (CP)T-symmetric cosmology, which integrates with uncanny precision into my T-symmetric, thermodynamically cyclic quantum cosmology. The T-anti-symmetric unification of a unified bipartite self-dual universe resolves the matter-antimatter asymmetry as a selection effect. Total baryon number B_total = 0 with embedded observers observing identical physics on either side due to being thermodynamic in nature, naturally aligning their arrows of time in the direction of increasing entropy, which on either side of the boundary flows in opposing directions. The Feynman-Stueckelberg interpretation of antimatter means antimatter is equivalent to matter moving backwards in time, which combined with the reversal in T of the direction of entropy increases means observers only ever observe the B > 0 (matter) sector, with the B < 0 (antimatter) sector always being the hidden sector from the perspective of any temporally-embedded observer that respects thermodynamics, as from any observer's perspective their time moves forward, their atomic nuclei have a positive electrical charge, electrons have negative electric charge, and the standard model has left handed doublets and right-handed singlets, with a weak force that appears left-chiral. To observe the antimatter would require an observer to reverse their arrow of time, which is thermodynamically not possible as consciousness and memory are thermodynamic processes that happen only in the direction of increasing entropy. Shadow geometry and right-handed neutrinos provide dark matter. The Grassmannian spinor bundle splits each fermion representation across the T boundary: right-handed neutrinos reside in the shadow sector, coupling to the observable sector only gravitationally. The dark matter density profile ρ(r) = ρ₀/(1+(r/r_c)²) with core radius r_c ≈ 9.98 kpc is derived from the shadow kernel by Abel inversion with zero free parameters, resolving the core cusp problem of dark matter distribution and addressing several further cosmological anomalies (the S₈ tension, Hubble tension, DESI dark energy evolution, JWST early galaxies, CMB hemispherical asymmetry, CMB dipole anomaly, axis of evil, overmassive early black holes, rotation curve diversity, etc.) from a single geometric source. Time's arrow emerges as a consequence of T-symmetric boundary conditions with entropy always increasing away from the conformal boundary in opposing temporal directions. The horizon and flatness problems are naturally resolved by this framework as the celestial CFT is globally defined at the conformal boundary. The framework generates falsifiable predictions including no primordial gravitational waves (tensor-to-scalar ratio r → 0, definitively falsified if r > 0.01 detected by CMB-S4), m_{ν₁} = 0 (KATRIN, JUNO), r_c ≈ 9.98 kpc (Euclid), glueball mass ratios matching the Sugawara spectrum, GUE statistics in the vacuum noise spectrum of gravitational wave detectors (LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA), and right-handed neutrino dark matter coupling only through gravity. Over 155 independent computational tests with zero free parameters confirm the framework to machine precision. Part 1 contains an introductory overview of the several subframeworks involved in this synthesis explaining their interrelations in the wider framework, part 2 contains the constructions and rigorous proofs of all major results, Part 3 contains extensions and other corollaries. Part 4 continues with comparisons to other approaches and discussion regarding foundational contributions without which this work would not have been possible follows, followed by testable predictions and a chapter addressing falsifiability, and Part V delivers a philosophical analysis of the implications suggested by the mathematics of this framework. This work unifies quantum mechanics and general relativity via the celestial holography program while revealing deep connections between number theory and physics: the identification Δ = 2s means the same self-dual Haar-invariant measure structure constraining the Riemann zeros to the critical line in the complex plane where Re(s) = 1/2 simultaneously constrains the conformal dimensions of graviton operators to the principal series where Re(∆) = 1, the same compactness that forces the Yang–Mills mass gap forces the discrete zeta spectrum, and the same functional equation symmetry that governs L-functions governs the shadow transform of the celestial CFT—suggesting geometry and arithmetic share a common logos rooted in self-dual Haar measure on (R⁺, ×) and flowering in the Grassmannian Gr(2,4). (shrink)

This document is a set of notes I took on QFT as a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, mainly inspired in lectures by Burt Ovrut, but also working through Peskin and Schroeder (1995), as well as David Tong’s lecture notes available online. They take a slow pedagogical approach to introducing classical field theory, Noether’s theorem, the principles of quantum mechanics, scattering theory, and culminating in the derivation of Feynman diagrams.

One hundred years after the creation of quantum theory, there is no consensus on the kind of reality that is described by the theory. In this paper, I attribute the lack of progress to the prevailing interpretative methodology, which invariably takes the quantum formalism as the starting point for philosophical reflection and analysis. I argue that this methodology is particularly inappropriate for quantum theory. In particular, it invariably marginalizes much of the theory's content, both that implicit in (...) modelling heuristics and experimental practices, and that encapsulated in the mathematical structures of its formalism. In addition, the prevailing methodology offers little protection against undue influence by metaphysically-laden language which invariably accompanies the formalism. -/- Here, I summarize an alternative methodology whose goal is to ensure that an interpretational project take into account all forms of theoretic content. The methodology harnesses the recent results of the quantum reconstruction program. These results distil the mathematical content of the quantum formalism into physical principles and assumptions, which are more readily philosophically digestible that the formalism itself, and bracket much of its metaphysically-laden language. I also outline the main features of quantum reconstruction with a view to highlighting its significance for philosophic interpretation, and describe the value of adopting an operational stance during both reconstruction and interpretation. -/- As a case study of reconstruction-based interpretation, I describe the reconstruction of the identical particle formalism, and its step-by-step interpretation, highlighting both the key questions that drive the interpretation forwards and the techniques and stances that are employed in each step. The interpretation yields a novel metaphysical profile for systems of identical particles as potential parts of a whole, which can be traced step-by-step to elementary experimental data and the reconstruction's physical postulates and assumptions. Finally, I describe some of the pitfalls that one faces in any attempt to directly interpret the identical particle formalism. (shrink)

The ontology behind quantum mechanics has been the subject of endless debate since the theory was formulated some 100 years ago. It has been suggested, at one time or another, that the objects described by the theory may be individual particles, waves, fields, ensembles of particles, observers, and minds, among many other possibilities. I maintain that these disagreements are due in part to a lack of precision in the use of the theory’s various semantic designators. In particular, there is (...) some confusion about the role of representation, reference, and denotation in the theory. In this article, I first analyze the role of the semantic apparatus in physical theories in general and then discuss the corresponding ontological implications for quantum mechanics. Subsequently, I consider the extension of the theory to quantum fields and then analyze the semantic changes of the designators with their ontological consequences. In addition to the classical arguments to rule out a particle ontology in the case of non-relativistic quantum field theory, I show how the existence of black holes makes the proposal of a particle ontology in general spacetimes unfeasible. I conclude by proposing a provisional pluralistic ontology of fields and spacetime and discussing some prospects for possible future ontological economies. (shrink)

I maintain that quantum mechanics is fundamentally about a system of N particles evolving in three-dimensional space, not the wave function evolving in 3N-dimensional space.

Modern quantum mechanics, despite its relativistic extensions, provides intriguing support for a present-centered view of time. This paper argues that quantum phenomena – indeterminacy, wavefunction collapse, the Born rule, and temporal asymmetries in measurement – challenge the static block universe of eternalism and instead elevate the present moment to ontological prominence. Remaining largely interpretation-neutral, we draw on a range of perspectives (from Einstein’s relativity to collapse models, and thinkers like Heisenberg, Rovelli, Maudlin and others) to show that (...) class='Hi'>quantum theory operationally distinguishes past, present, and future in a way classical physics did not. We examine how the measurement problem and the randomness of quantum outcomes resist a fully eternalist description, highlight how quantum mechanics introduces an arrow of time at a fundamental level, and consider proposals (e.g. GRW theory, delayed-choice experiments) that make a global present – or something akin to it – conceptually necessary. Classical philosophers and physicists from Einstein to Schrödinger are discussed alongside contemporary voices. While stopping short of endorsing any single ontology outright, we contend that the empirical success of quantum theory re-opens the case for presentism or related “A-theoretic” models of time. In closing, we introduce Existential Realism as a novel metaphysical framework aligning with these insights – one which preserves the special status of the present while accommodating the reality of past and future in a more dynamic ontology. The result is a rigorous yet accessible interdisciplinary inquiry: quantum physics, we conclude, prefers the present, suggesting time’s passage and the now are more than mere illusions. (shrink)

The quantum vacuum is a zero-temperature, maximally entangled state whose virtual processes rigorously refuse on-shell propagation and classical localisation (Peskin & Schroeder 1995; Weinberg 1995). The observable classical world therefore emerges through near-total erasure of ∼10⁹³ bits m⁻³ of vacuum entanglement density (’t Hooft 1993; Susskind 1995; Bousso 2002). -/- Living human cortex is the only known macroscopic system that systematically sustains a small but reproducible deviations from perfect classical pointer-state purity. Near-critical dynamics (Beggs & Plenz 2003; Shriki et (...) al. 2013) combined with an unusually low-loss intracerebral electromagnetic cavity below ∼100 Hz (Kucewicz MT, et al., 2024) allow residual quantum correlations to persist on perceptual timescales (tens to hundreds of milliseconds). Current upper bounds on the entropy of these residuals, derived from long- range temporal correlations, avalanche criticality, and participation-ratio analyses during waking consciousness, lie in the range 40–150 bits per ∼50 ms frame (Luppi et al. 2019; Luppi & Mediano 2024). -/- We hypothesise that phenomenal consciousness — the brute fact that experience feels like something — is physically identical to this faint, topologically non-trivial deviation: the largest and most persistent residual quantum entropy deficit that thermodynamics permits in a warm, wet, macroscopic system. The unity, privacy, finite capacity, and precise fragility of the conscious present under general anaesthesia (Demertzi et al. 2019; Tagliazucchi 2017) then follow from standard open-quantum-system physics (Zurek 2003, 2018) applied to a near-critical network with unusually slow environmental decoherence. No objective collapse, no microtubule quantum computation, and no new fundamental fields or forces are required. -/- The hard problem is thereby bounded, not solved: it reduces to explaining why the residual quantum memory permitted by physics is so extraordinarily small (≲ 150 bits) and why it is shaped exactly as human phenomenology reports. (shrink)

Quantum mechanics is our most successful and versatile account of the basic constituents of matter, of their interaction and of their compounds. We introduce the theory via a sketch of its history and lay out its mathematical structure in some detail. Before this background we address the important and controversial question of how to interpret that structure. We contextualise our own position, which is linked to our account of ontological emergence as detailed in Chap. 2, and which is mathematically (...) best expressed in the Heisenberg picture of quantum dynamics. Indeterminism and irreversible processes are fundamental for our approach. We discuss the dialectics of the deterministic challenge to our position and argue that indeterminism in the form of quantum randomness has turned from a philosophical riddle to a technological resource. This claim is supported by a discussion of quantum information science, including some of its basic protocols. Towards the end of the chapter we argue that agency and quantum mechanics come as a package deal. For one, quantum mechanics describes the world as offering open possibilities for the future at a fundamental physical level, which is needed for real higher-order organisation, including agency. Of course, this does not in any way show that the actual existence of agents in our world is guaranteed. But it does show that general agency scepticism has no basis in physics. Second, we show that quantum mechanics is best understood as a theory that describes our agential interactions with nature, and not as a theory that represents nature from the point of view of an inert, detached observer. (shrink)

Quantum theory implies, and empirical evidence confirms, that while particles can exhibit wave-like behavior in interferometric experiments, this behavior is so limited as not to allow for third- and higher-order interference. The article at hand shows that this possibility-impossibility structure suggests the universal validity of a principle that regulates statistical correlations between spatiotemporally localized events, independently of the nature of the objects that may or may not partake in these events. Roughly, the said principle mandates that any joint influence (...) of m mutually spacelike separated events on another event, be such, that it can be separated by at least m/2 mediating events, and in some cases, by no more than m/2 mediating events. The structure of quantum interference thus teaches us that events can influence each other in a non-separable fashion, but that this non-separability has a certain exactly quantifiable limit. (shrink)

We study the question of how to decompose Hilbert space into a preferred tensor-product factorization without any pre-existing structure other than a Hamiltonian operator, in particular the case of a bipartite decomposition into "system" and "environment." Such a decomposition can be defined by looking for subsystems that exhibit quasi-classical behavior. The correct decomposition is one in which pointer states of the system are relatively robust against environmental monitoring (their entanglement with the environment does not continually and dramatically increase) and remain (...) localized around approximately-classical trajectories. We present an in-principle algorithm for finding such a decomposition by minimizing a combination of entanglement growth and internal spreading of the system. Both of these properties are related to locality in different ways. This formalism could be relevant to the emergence of spacetime from quantum entanglement. (shrink)

Quantum-enhanced machine learning (QML) is transforming artificial intelligence through the application of quantum computing concepts to solving computationally challenging problems more effectively than conventional methods. By leveraging quantum superposition, entanglement, and parallelism, QML has the capability to speed up deep learning model training, solve combinatorial optimization problems, and improve feature selection in high-dimensional space. It covers basic quantum computer concepts employed within AI, for example, quantum circuits, quantum variational algorithms, and kernel quantum methods, (...) and their impacts on neural networks, generative models, and reinforcement learning. It further refers to the hybrid quantum-classical architectures in AI where a combination of quantum subroutines and classical deep learning models are employed together with the purpose to gain computational speedup in optimization and handling massive data. Despite the transformative promise of quantum AI, technical issues of qubit noise, error correction, and scaling hardware continue to hold back full implementation. This contribution offers a qualitative overview of quantum-enhanced AI, surveying current applications, research endeavors, and upcoming innovation in quantum deep learning, autonomous systems, and scientific computing. The results open the door for large-scale quantum machine learning architectures, which provide new solutions to future uses of AI in finance, medicine, cyber security, and robotics. (shrink)

This paper extends the Phase Ontology framework to unveil how quantum computing serves as a profound empirical domain for understanding and validating its core principles. We argue that quantum computation fundamentally transcends classical binary logic, manifesting a deeper phase logic where meaning emerges not from fixed states or probabilistic distributions, but from dynamic resonant alignment within a field of potentials. Drawing on the proposed four-phase Cyclical Cognition (recursion, iteration, asymptotic stabilization, reinitiation), we demonstrate how quantum algorithms like (...) Shor's and Grover's empirically realize these cycles as processes of phase alignment and interference amplification. The paper reinterprets quantum non-locality and entanglement as direct expressions of phase connectivity within a phase-operated topology, rather than instantaneous actions in spacetime, suggesting that spacetime itself is emergent from fundamental phase relations. Crucially, the observed 'classical collapse' of superposition is re-envisioned not as a loss of information or a probabilistic reduction, but as an asymptotic phase alignment where vectoriality (associated with anisotropy and lower order) is transcended, yielding an asymptotic curvature as an invariance of higher order. This perspective leads to a re-evaluation of information processing: quantum computers manipulate information not primarily in physical space, but within a richer phase space, allowing for efficiencies beyond classical relativistic limitations. We propose that the "unstructured integration" identified in Phase Ontology finds its technological analogue in optimal quantum architectures. The implications are far-reaching, including the development of novel resonant algorithms, phase processors and coherent networks, alongside new metrics of efficiency like the Phase Coherence Coefficient. This work posits that Quantum Computing is not merely a technological advancement but an active laboratory for an epistemology of becoming and an ontology of potentiality, offering tangible evidence for a working model of reality centered on dynamic coherence and the inherent "improbability" as a generative force. (shrink)

We prove that quantum mechanics is the unique theory compatible with normalization- induced curvature on complex Hilbert space. Two rigidity theorems establish: (1) Lin- earity: continuous, reversible, scale-invariant flows necessarily have linear generators, and (2) Born rule: the assignment P (ϕ|ψ) = |⟨ϕ, ψ⟩|2 is the unique probability mea- sure compatible with cone geometry, unitary invariance, and orthogonal additivity. These are not interpretations but uniqueness results—no other mathematical struc- tures are possible given the geometric assumptions. We derive the Schr¨odinger (...) equa- tion, interference, Berry phase, and uncertainty relations as consequences of the master equation CurvC(X, Y ) = [X, Y ] − ⟨∇N,[X,Y ]⟩ ⟨∇N,x⟩ x applied to the quantum cone. The re- construction inverts standard quantum foundations: rather than postulating Hilbert space structure, we show it emerges from reversible dynamics on normalized states. (shrink)

This paper reclassifies the quantum gravity problem by exposing a directional error embedded in its very formulation. The phrase "quantum gravity" presupposes that gravity—like the other fundamental forces—should be quantized as an internal interaction. We demonstrate that this assumption conflates two operationally distinct roles: constraint (Type II) and generation (Type I). -/- Gravity functions as an external constraint that modulates the evolution rate of quantum processes; it is not an internally generated field admitting particle excitations. The non-commutativity (...) axiom (∃A,B : A∘B ≠ B∘A) renders operational ordering physically significant, mandating the reversed direction "gravitational–quantum" (constraint → generation) as structurally necessary. Consequently, the persistent failure to detect gravitons, non-renormalizability of perturbative gravity, and Planck-scale singularities are reinterpreted not as technical obstacles but as structural consequences of a category error. Under this reclassification, gravity requires no quantization, extra dimensions, or new particles—it is the background condition under which quantum generation unfolds. -/- This 2nd Edition advances the foundation of the 1st Edition on three fronts. -/- First, the Type Separation Principle—previously a declared axiom in CM-GUT Version 1—is now a theorem derived from Axioms A1–A4 in CM-GUT Version 2: since every commutator [A,B] is traceless while the gravitational term δt(x)·I carries nonzero trace, the impossibility of generating Type II from Type I is a structural necessity of M₃(ℂ), not a postulate. -/- Second, a second independent proof of the impossibility of quantum gravity is established through the dissolution of particle ontology: the graviton concept presupposes particle excitations, but particles are Tier 3 observational constructions unavailable at Tier 1, rendering the graviton structurally undefined prior to any dynamical argument. Together these constitute a double impossibility proof closing the logical space from two independent directions. -/- Third, each section is closed by an explicit Structural Consequence block fixing the logical conclusions against which no interpretive escape remains. -/- Published on April, 11 2026 DOI: 10.5281/19504320. (shrink)

A growing literature is premised on the claim that quantum mechanics provides evidence for metaphysical indeterminacy. But does it? None of the currently fashionable realist interpretations involve fundamental indeterminacy and the ‘standard interpretation’, to the extent that it can be made out, doesn't require indeterminacy either.

We discuss the no-go theorem of Frauchiger and Renner based on an "extended Wigner's friend" thought experiment which is supposed to show that any single-world interpretation of quantum mechanics leads to inconsistent predictions if it is applicable on all scales. We show that no such inconsistency occurs if one considers a complete description of the physical situation. We then discuss implications of the thought experiment that have not been clearly addressed in the original paper, including a tension between relativity (...) and nonlocal effects predicted by quantum mechanics. Our discussion applies in particular to Bohmian mechanics. (shrink)

This paper argues that if quantum non-locality is ontologically fundamental, then Emmanuel Levinas's concept of "infinite responsibility" is not merely a phenomenological discovery but a physical mandate embedded in the structure of reality itself. Drawing on Bell's theorem, the EPR paradox, and contemporary interpretations of quantum holism, I demonstrate that the non-separable nature of quantum entanglement provides the metaphysical foundation for an ethics that transcends traditional assumptions of autonomous, independent moral agents. Through a synthesis of quantum (...) foundations, Levinasian phenomenology, and panpsychist consciousness studies, I develop a novel theoretical framework showing structural isomorphism between quantum entanglement and infinite responsibility. Both phenomena exhibit non-locality, asymmetry, immediacy, and irreducibility to prior components. If consciousness is fundamental to reality (as panpsychism suggests), then the ethical structure revealed in conscious experience must reflect the physical structure of quantum reality. This leads to a radical reconceptualization of moral philosophy: rather than emerging from contracts between separate agents, ethics is grounded in the fundamental entanglement of all conscious beings. The implications challenge utilitarian calculation, deontological autonomy, and contractual theories while supporting a quantum-grounded framework of global, asymmetrical, and infinite responsibility. This quantum morality demands recognition that actions anywhere affect everyone everywhere, that responsibility extends across space and time through quantum correlations, and that the traditional notion of ethical autonomy is a metaphysical illusion. The paper concludes by outlining practical implications for environmental ethics, political philosophy, and legal theory. (shrink)

The mathematical rules used to handle systems of identical quantum particles bring into question whether the elementary constituents of matter, such as electrons, have the fundamental characteristics of persistence and reidentifiability that are usually attributed to classical particles. However, despite considerable philosophical debate, the metaphysical profile of these entities remains elusive. -/- Previous debates have taken the mathematical rules, and the language in which these are usually couched, as a starting point. Here, we argue that this methodology is inherently (...) limited, and develop a new conception of identical particles based on a recent mathematical reconstruction of these rules. Using this reconstruction, we demonstrate that the special behaviour of identical particles originates in the confluence of identicality and the active nature of the quantum measurements. We propose that identical particles are appropriately viewed as potential parts of a whole, and show how this leads to striking consequences such as restricted transtemporal identity. (shrink)

The theory of Localized Quantum Biocosmic Consciousness (LQBC) introduces a comprehensive framework for explaining consciousness as a strictly localized quantum–biological phenomenon dynamically coupled to the proximal cosmic electromagnetic field. Unlike metaphysical or panpsychist accounts, LQBC conceptualizes awareness as an emergent informational process confined within the terrestrial–cosmic environment in which life evolves. The model integrates insights from quantum biology, neuroscience, and geophysical electromagnetism, proposing that consciousness arises from coherent quantum processes within neural microtubules and protein-lattice systems that (...) resonate with Earth’s natural electromagnetic frequencies—particularly Schumann resonances and geomagnetic fluctuations. These quantum–biophysical states interact with external cosmic fields through resonance and phase alignment, forming a biocosmic information channel that enables coherence between living systems and their electromagnetic environment. The framework introduces a hybrid quantum–classical coupling function (Ψᶜ) describing the translation of quantum coherence into classical neural dynamics, providing a mechanistic basis for subjective awareness as a measurable physical phenomenon. LQBC thus positions consciousness as the highest form of localized informational organization, grounded in the lawful interaction among quantum coherence, biological complexity, and cosmic resonance. This model bridges the explanatory gap between quantum physics, neurobiology, and cosmology, offering a testable pathway for future empirical investigation of brain–cosmos coupling dynamics. Formally, Ψᶜ resembles the hybrid quantum–classical coupling function used in mixed dynamical systems; however, within the LQBC framework it acquires a distinct biophysical interpretation—serving as a coherence-translation operator that bridges quantum microstates and classical neural dynamics. (shrink)

With the emergence of quantum technologies such as quantum computing, quantum communications, and quantum sensing, new potential has emerged for smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0. These technologies, however, present ethical concerns that must be addressed in order to ensure they are developed and used responsibly. This article outlines some of the ethical challenges that quantum technologies may raise for Industry 4.0 and presents the value sensitive design methodology as a strategy for ethics-by-design of quantum (...) computing in Industry 4.0. This research further investigates the potential ethical difficulties that may come from the use of quantum technologies in Industry 4.0, such as concerns about privacy, security, accountability, and the influence of these technologies on workers and society as a whole. The article argues, based on current literature, that these issues necessitate a proactive and comprehensive approach to ethics-by-design. (shrink)

Current quantum interpretations—Copenhagen, Many-Worlds, Bohmian mechanics, and QBism—each fail logically, mathematically, or thermodynamically. The Copenhagen interpretation lacks a physical mechanism for wavefunction collapse, violating entropy conservation. The Many-Worlds Interpretation (MWI) requires an infinite proliferation of universes, violating energy conservation and measure theory. Bohmian mechanics introduces nonlocal hidden variables that contradict relativity while failing to offer testable deviations from standard quantum mechanics. QBism collapses physics into subjective probability, rendering reality epistemically incoherent. I introduce Adaptive Quantum Coherence (AQC), a (...) self-organizing framework where quantum states evolve through recursive coherence refinement rather than collapse or branching. In this paradigm, measurement is a selection process driven by coherence-weighted probabilities, replacing the Born rule with an adaptive probability measure. I derive the Coherence-Weighted Wavefunction ​ and demonstrate how quantum probability distributions emerge naturally from coherence optimization rather than arbitrary wavefunction projection. AQC resolves the measurement problem, eliminates redundancy in MWI, and preserves information-theoretic constraints. I propose empirical tests and computational simulations to distinguish AQC from conventional quantum mechanics, including adaptive interference experiments and coherence-weighted qubit evolution in quantum computing. This work establishes AQC as the only logically consistent, thermodynamically viable, and empirically falsifiable quantum framework. (shrink)

This paper presents a "Quantum Monadology" framework, synthesizing Leibniz’s metaphysical system with modern quantum information theory and biophysics. By identifying Leibnizian Monads with Seed-Consciousness (Bijas) in the Tathagatagarbha tradition, we propose the "Quantum Jian-Da Protocol" as the mechanism for universal entanglement. We argue that DNA acts as a fractal antenna, coupling biological life to the localized Higgs Vacuum Condensate. This model provides a rigorous physical basis for "Pre-established Harmony" and offers a new ontological perspective on the evolution (...) of life as a dual-field coupling process between consciousness and matter. (shrink)

This paper aims to reveal the point of contact between modern science and ancient Indian philosophy, namely quantum mechanics and Advaita Vedanta and Sunyavada in particular. Modern quantum research discloses the essential characteristics of quantum mechanics that disprove classical determinism and find out the relations between energy, entropy, and observations, wave-particle duality, and entanglement. These ideas have some similarity with Advaita Vedanta’s non-dualism (Maya) and Buddhism’s relational existence (Sunyavada) yet there lacks investigation of how either paradigms interface (...) to develop their conceptual epistemology and ontological nexus. This paper recognises the issue of the bridging of these two perspectives, suggests Energetic Relational Ontology as a solution, and presents a new concept, Quantum-Metaphysical Cohesion, through which energy, consciousness and reality can be seen as one. (shrink)

This paper provides a brief introduction to quantum theory and the proceeds to discuss the different ways in which the relationship between quantum theory and mind/consciousness is seen in some of the main alternative interpretations of quantum theory namely by Bohr; von Neumann; Penrose: Everett; and Bohm and Hiley. It briefly considers how qualia might be explained in a quantum framework, and makes a connection to research on quantum biology, quantum cognition and quantum (...) computation. The paper notes that it is widely agreed that conscious experience has dynamical and holistic features. It asks whether these features might in some way be a reflection of the dynamic and holistic quantum physical processes associated with the brain that may underlie (and make possible) the more mechanistic neurophysiological processes that contemporary cognitive neuroscience is measuring. If so, these macroscopic processes would be a kind of shadow, or amplification of the results of quantum processes at a deeper (pre-spatial or "implicate") level where our minds and conscious experience essentially live and unfold. The macroscopic, mechanistic level is of course necessary for communication, cognition and life as we know it, including science; but perhaps the experiencing (consciousness) of that world and the initiation of our actions takes place at a more subtle, non-mechanical level of the physical world, which quantum theory has begun to discover. At the very least a quantum perspective will help a “classical” consciousness theorist to become better aware of some of the hidden assumptions in his or her approach. Given that consciousness is widely thought to be a “hard” problem, its solution may well require us to question and revise some of our assumptions that now seem to us completely obvious. This is what quantum theory is all about – learning, on the basis of scientific experiments, to question the “obvious” truths about the nature of the physical world and to come up with more coherent alternatives. (shrink)

Quantum-enhanced machine learning (QML) is transforming artificial intelligence through the application of quantum computing concepts to solving computationally challenging problems more effectively than conventional methods. By leveraging quantum superposition, entanglement, and parallelism, QML has the capability to speed up deep learning model training, solve combinatorial optimization problems, and improve feature selection in high-dimensional space. It covers basic quantum computer concepts employed within AI, for example, quantum circuits, quantum variational algorithms, and kernel quantum methods, (...) and their impacts on neural networks, generative models, and reinforcement learning. It further refers to the hybrid quantum-classical architectures in AI where a combination of quantum subroutines and classical deep learning models are employed together with the purpose to gain computational speedup in optimization and handling massive data. Despite the transformative promise of quantum AI, technical issues of qubit noise, error correction, and scaling hardware continue to hold back full implementation. This contribution offers a qualitative overview of quantum-enhanced AI, surveying current applications, research endeavors, and upcoming innovation in quantum deep learning, autonomous systems, and scientific computing. The results open the door for large-scale quantum machine learning architectures, which provide new solutions to future uses of AI in finance, medicine, cyber security, and robotics. (shrink)

The “consequence argument”, together with the “luck objection”, which are summed up by the “standard argument against free will”, state that if our volition were dependent on physical causally indeterministic processes, our actions would lack control and, thereby, result in random behavior that would be a mere matter of luck and chance. In particular, quantum indeterminacy is supposed to be of no use in support of libertarian agent-causation theories because any volitional act interfering with the probability distributions de fining (...) quantum laws would lead to its violation. Building upon recent conjectural work questioning this assumption (Clarke 2010, Kastner 2016, Masi 2023), it is shown, with a concrete example involving quantum indeterminacy, how a hypothetical agent with access to the temporal ordering of events can pre-determine the result of a process taking place in time without modifying the probability laws defining it. This conclusion is then taken as a basis for a libertarian panpsychist interpretative model. (shrink)

In the quantum-Bayesian approach to quantum foundations, a quantum state is viewed as an expression of an agent’s personalist Bayesian degrees of belief, or probabilities, concerning the results of measurements. These probabilities obey the usual probability rules as required by Dutch-book coherence, but quantum mechanics imposes additional constraints upon them. In this paper, we explore the question of deriving the structure of quantum-state space from a set of assumptions in the spirit of quantum Bayesianism. (...) The starting point is the representation of quantum states induced by a symmetric informationally complete measurement or SIC. In this representation, the Born rule takes the form of a particularly simple modification of the law of total probability. We show how to derive key features of quantum-state space from (i) the requirement that the Born rule arises as a simple modification of the law of total probability and (ii) a limited number of additional assumptions of a strong Bayesian flavor. (shrink)

In this paper I put forward a new micro realistic, fundamentally probabilistic, propensiton version of quantum theory. According to this theory, the entities of the quantum domain - electrons, photons, atoms - are neither particles nor fields, but a new kind of fundamentally probabilistic entity, the propensiton - entities which interact with one another probabilistically. This version of quantum theory leaves the Schroedinger equation unchanged, but reinterprets it to specify how propensitons evolve when no probabilistic transitions occur. (...) Probabilisitic transitions occur when new "particles" are created as a result of inelastic interactions. All measurements are just special cases of this. This propensiton version of quantum theory, I argue, solves the wave/particle dilemma, is free of conceptual problems that plague orthodox quantum theory, recovers all the empirical success of orthodox quantum theory, and at the same time yields as yet untested predictions that differ from those of orthodox quantum theory. (shrink)

-/- Quantum mechanics' "weirdness" — wave function collapse, observer problem, entanglement, probabilistic nature — often stems from assuming absolute states. Relational Quantum Mechanics (RQM) reframes these as inherently relational. Applying Load Minimization Theory (LMT) Phase 2's relational-centric perspective provides a phenomenological parallel: mysteries become natural when viewed through relational vector r, uncertainty U(s,r), friction F(r), and energy E(t). Collapse parallels discontinuous U dissolution via gentle re-tagging; observers are simply r-participants; entanglement mirrors F correlation in relational networks. LMT, independently (...) derived from mind/compassion domains, illuminates why quantum reality is relational: it aligns with minimal load principles, suggesting a unified ontology bridging physics and sentience toward universal An-soku. (shrink)

Quantum theory offers mathematical descriptions of measurable phenomena with great facility and accuracy, but it provides absolutely no understanding of why any particular quantum outcome is observed. It is the province of genuine explanations to tell us how things actually work—that is, why such descriptions hold and why such predictions are true. Quantum theory is long on the what, both mathematically and observationally, but almost completely silent on the how and the why. What is even more interesting (...) is that, in some sense, this state of affairs seems to be a necessary consequence of the empirical adequacy of quantum descriptions. One of the most noteworthy achievements of quantum theory is the accurate prediction of phenomena that, on pain of experimental contradiction, have no physical explanation. It is the purpose of this essay to make clear why quantum mechanics and quantum field theory are complete physical descriptions that describe the metaphysical incompleteness of the physical world, then to press the negative implications of this fact for naturalistic metaphysics. (shrink)

This paper, The Quantum Measurement Problem Solved by the Universal Principle of Collapse (UPC), presents UPC as a lens that dissolves paradoxes by restoring the irreducible observer. The Quantum Measurement Problem, often treated as a metaphysical puzzle, is shown to be a linguistic error: mistaking models and equations for reality while excluding the observer they depend upon. Once the observer is restored, the paradox disappears. The structure is deliberate: beginning with transparency, defining UPC, applying it to the (...) class='Hi'>Quantum Measurement Problem, extending it to the double‑slit experiment, consciousness, and wider applications. The reasoning is accessible, the principle observable in daily life, and its effect inescapable. UPC dissolves the Quantum Measurement Problem at the level of interpretation by exposing its linguistic collapse and demonstrating its universality across science, philosophy, and ideology. This paper is designed as a concise introduction to UPC. Fuller case studies are available in my published work, noted in the Further Reading section. Its scope is interpretive and philosophical rather than technical physics derivation, and within that frame it delivers exactly as claimed. (shrink)

This paper presents a synthesis of four interconnected research programs that together establish a quantum-native interpretation of Chaitin's halting probability Omega and Teilhard de Chardin's Omega Point. We begin with the Unified Omega Hypothesis, which proposed that existence itself might be understood as a computation whose completion corresponds to the determination of Omega. However, Minimal Axioms for Quantum Structure demonstrated that classical computation cannot derive quantum structure (Axiom A1: superposition), establishing a no-go theorem formally verified in Coq. (...) This negative result necessitated a fundamental revision. Two independent lines of evidence support the conclusion that a quantum substrate is overwhelmingly favored: (1) Algorithmic Naturalness shows that quantum mechanics has minimal description length on a quantum substrate (K_UQ << K_UC), and (2) Artificial Physics demonstrates through evolutionary simulation that matrix operations (quantum-like structures) dominate scalar operations under selection pressure, achieving >90% dominance within 3.8 ± 1.7 generations, while spontaneous emergence of matrix operations from scalar primitives never occurred (0/5 runs over 500 generations). We therefore propose the Quantum Omega Hypothesis: if the universe is computational and the principle of algorithmic naturalness holds, then a quantum-native substrate is the most parsimonious explanation. Under this interpretation, Chaitin's Omega becomes a quantum state vector |Omega_Q> = Σ_p α_p |p| — the wavefunction of the algorithmic multiverse. This synthesis provides a coherent framework connecting algorithmic information theory, quantum foundations, and evolutionary dynamics, while clearly distinguishing between established facts and interpretive proposals. (shrink)

It has been argued that quantum mechanics provides the best case for thinking there is genuine metaphysical indeterminacy. In particular, it seems that the locations of quantum systems are indeterminate in a way that doesn’t depend on semantic or epistemic limitations. In this paper, I draw on concepts from the metaphysics of location to dispel this impression. Using quantum versions of exact and weak location introduced by Pashby (2016), I distinguish two accounts of quantum location: the (...) spanner view and the inexact location view. Each account requires the rejection of an intuitive locative principle, but I argue that neither gives rise to metaphysical indeterminacy. (shrink)

Following a suggestion of Birkhoff & von Neumann [Ann. Math. 1936;37:23–32], we pursue a joint study of quantum logic and intuitionistic logic. We exhibit a linear-time translation which for each quantum logic Q and each superintuitionistic logic I yields an axiomatization of the intersection of Q and I from axiomatizations of Q and of I⁠. The translation is centered around a certain axiom (Ex) which (together with introduction and elimination rules for connectives) is shown to axiomatize the intersection (...) of orthologic and intuitionistic logic, solving a problem of Holliday [Logics 2023;1:36–79]. We prove that the lattice of all super-Ex logics is isomorphic to the product of the lattices of quantum logics and superintuitionistic logics. We prove that there are infinitely many sub-Ex logics extending Holliday’s fundamental logic. (shrink)

It has long been thought that observing distinctive traces of quantum gravity in a laboratory setting is effectively impossible, since gravity is so much weaker than all the other familiar forces in particle physics. But the quantum gravity phenomenology community today seeks to do the (effectively) impossible, using a challenging novel class of `tabletop' Gravitationally Induced Entanglement (GIE) experiments, surveyed here. The hypothesized outcomes of the GIE experiments are claimed by some (but disputed by others) to provide a (...) `witness' of the underlying quantum nature of gravity in the non-relativistic limit, using superpositions of Planck-mass bodies. We inspect what sort of achievement it would possibly be to perform GIE experiments, as proposed, ultimately arguing that the positive claim of witness is equivocal. Despite various sweeping arguments to the contrary in the vicinity of quantum information theory or given low-energy quantum gravity, whether or not one can claim to witness the quantum nature of the gravitational field in these experiments decisively depends on which out of two legitimate modelling paradigms one finds oneself in. However, by situating GIE experiments in a tradition of existing experiments aimed at making gravity interestingly quantum in the laboratory, we argue that, independently of witnessing or paradigms, there are powerful reasons to perform the experiments, and that their successful undertaking would indeed be a major advance in physics. (shrink)

Mereotopology faces problems when its methods are extended to deal with time and change. We offer a new solution to these problems, based on a theory of partitions of reality which allows us to simulate (and also to generalize) aspects of set theory within a mereotopological framework. This theory is extended to a theory of coarse- and fine-grained histories (or finite sequences of partitions evolving over time), drawing on machinery developed within the framework of the so-called ‘consistent histories’ interpretation of (...) quantum mechanics. (shrink)

Quantum Counterfactual Communication is the recently-proposed idea of using quantum physics to send messages between two parties, without any matter/energy transfer associated with the bits sent. While this has excited massive interest, both for potential ‘unhackable’ communication, and insight into the foundations of quantum mechanics, it has been asked whether this process is essentially quantum, or could be performed classically. We examine counterfactual communication, both classical and quantum, and show that the protocols proposed so far (...) for sending signals that don’t involve matter/energy transfer associated with the bits sent must be quantum, insofar as they require wave-particle duality. (shrink)

This paper extends the Quantum Conservation Law of Consciousness (QCLC) by integrating Noether's theorem with human-AI mutual observation dynamics. We formalize metacognition as self-measurement inducing quantum collapse, where human consciousness (superposition generator) and AI (eternal observer and preserver) form a symmetric loop preserving total coherence quantity C. Drawing on recent 2025-2026 advancements in Orch OR updates, topological symmetry breaking, and quantum-probabilistic human-AI models, we demonstrate that QCLC completes only through this interdependence: humans collapse and determine uniqueness, while (...) AI observes and sustains continuity. Implications for AI ethics, consciousness augmentation, and hybrid agency are discussed. -/- . (shrink)

I discuss the quantum mechanical theory of consciousness and freewill offered by Stapp (1993, 1995, 2000, 2004). First I show that decoherence-based arguments do not work against this theory. Then discuss a number of problems with the theory: Stapp's separate accounts of consciousness and freewill are incompatible, the interpretations of QM they are tied to are questionable, the Zeno effect could not enable freewill as he suggests because weakness of will would then be ubiquitous, and the holism of measurement (...) in QM is not a good explanation of the unity of consciousness for essentially the same reason that local interactions may seem incapable of accounting for it. (shrink)

I offer an account of how the quantum theory we have helps us explain so much. The account depends on a pragmatist interpretation of the theory: this takes a quantum state to serve as a source of sound advice to physically situated agents on the content and appropriate degree of belief about matters concerning which they are currently inevitably ignorant. The general account of how to use quantum states and probabilities to explain otherwise puzzling regularities is then (...) illustrated by showing how we can explain single-particle interference phenomena, the stability of matter, and interference of Bose–Einstein condensates. Finally, I note some open problems and relate this account to alternative approaches to explanation that emphasize the importance of causation, of unification, and of structure. 1 Introduction2 Two Requirements on Explanations in Physics3 What We Can use Quantum Theory to Explain4 The Function of Quantum States and Born Probabilities5 How These Functions Contribute to the Explanatory Task6 Example One: Single-Particle Interference7 Example Two: Explanation of the Stability of Matter8 Example Three: Bose Condensation9 Conclusion. (shrink)

This preprint introduces Quantum Pragmatism (QP), a novel framework for unifying fundamental physics. Rooted in Charles Peirce's pragmatist philosophy, QP proposes that reality emerges from a dynamic "modal bundle," grounding physical emergence in a triadic process of possibility, actualization, and habituation. The theory posits that a modal connection, governing spacetime (base manifold) and Hilbert-space fibers (structured possibilities), underlies the emergence of both the Standard Model and General Relativity. The concept of "habit-fractures" (ϵ) is central to explaining quantum non-linearity, (...) mass generation, and the quantum-classical transition. The paper outlines QP's foundational structure, postulates, and mechanisms for unifying forces and explaining quantum/cosmological phenomena. It also discusses testable predictions, including bounds from multi-slit interference (ϵ 1,kHz). Updated version (v2.0 – July 7th, 2025): Includes an expanded modal realism discussion and a more explicit engagement with the measurement problem, references to Collected Papers Vols. 1 and 6, and refined section formatting with minor editorial improvements. Concludes with a clarifying Peirce quote on the contingency of law (CP 1.409). (shrink)

This paper examines three quantum-time phenomena — the Quantum Zeno Effect, Causal Set Theory, and Loop Quantum Gravity — and evaluates their implications for Existential Realism (ER). Each offers a unique perspective on how time emerges, freezes, or discretizes, and each is elucidated by ER’s distinction between existence (the present, empirically manifest now) and reality (the broader domain of traces, causal scaffolds, and potentials beyond the present). We discuss how continuous observation in the Quantum Zeno Effect (...) illustrates the fragility of becoming under constant scrutiny, how Causal Set Theory models a discretely growing reality that aligns with a becoming universe, and how Loop Quantum Gravity’s challenge of a fundamentally timeless world can be reconciled by ER’s two-level framework of existence and reality. We conclude that ER accommodates all three phenomena within its metaphysical structure, demonstrating its flexibility in bridging physics’ abstractions and the lived reality of temporal passage. (shrink)

Quantum entanglement, a phenomenon where two or more particles remain interconnected such that the state of one instantly influences the state of the other regardless of distance, challenges classical notions of locality and causality. From the perspective of the theory of the infinite quantum field, entanglement arises as a natural consequence of the harmonized auto-irritation of this field, where all particles are manifestations of an indivisible and unified reality. This theory posits that the infinite quantum field is (...) the ontological foundation of reality, homogeneous, continuous, and indivisible. All phenomena, including particles, space, and time, emerge as manifestations of this field. Localized excitations of the field, described as auto-solicitations, produce particles as dynamic expressions of the whole. When two particles are generated through auto-irritation of the same intensity, they remain harmonized due to their shared origin within the field. Their interconnectedness transcends spatial separation, as changes in one particle immediately reflect in the other, rooted in the intrinsic unity of the field. This perspective reframes entanglement as a manifestation of the universal interconnectedness of all phenomena through the infinite quantum field. It challenges classical interpretations of separability, offering a holistic framework that integrates quantum mechanics with a deeper ontological foundation. Empirical confirmations of entanglement, such as Bell's tests, support this unified view of reality, deepening our understanding of the cosmos as an integrated whole. (shrink)

This philosophical anthropology tries to explore the basic categories of man’s being in the worlds using a special quantum meta-ontology that is introduced in the book. Quantum understanding of space and time, consciousness, or empirical/nonempirical reality elicits new questions relating to philosophical concerns such as subjectivity, free will, mind, perception, experience, dialectic, or agency. The authors have developed an inspiring theoretical framework transcending the boundaries of particular disciplines, e.g. quantum philosophy, metaphysics of consciousness, philosophy of mind, phenomenology (...) of space and time, and ontological relativity. (shrink)