Self-locating uncertainty and the many worlds interpretation

          @misc{ scivideos_PIRSA:16060058,
            doi = {10.48660/16060058},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/16060058},
            author = {McQueen, Kelvin},
            keywords = {Quantum Foundations},
            language = {en},
            title = {Self-locating uncertainty and the many worlds interpretation},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics},
            year = {2016},
            month = {jun},
            note = {PIRSA:16060058 see, \url{https://scivideos.org/pirsa/16060058}}
          }
          

Abstract

According to the many worlds interpretation (MWI), quantum mechanics in its simplest form (no collapse or hidden variables) is complete. A primary objection to the MWI is that it fails to account for the Born rule. The most prominent response to this objection comes from the decision-theoretic program, which aims to derive a rationality postulate according to which a believer in the MWI ought to act as if the Born rule is true. I argue that the existence of alternative coherent rationality postulates undermines this response. A different response, based on self-locating uncertainty, avoids this objection and may explain the Born rule in the MWI. I conclude by considering whether this framework is capable of explaining the weak trace of particles in certain difficult cases.