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Comment by platz | Hacker News Reader

You can say that the only thing that exists is the quantum wave function, as what basically this paper says (particles are epiphenomena). That is basically hard-line Everettianism e.g. many worlds. There are still problems. QFT does not explain gravity very well either.

The paper claims "it's neutral on the interpretations" - it is not.

You have the most senior research professor of physics at caltech admitting there are problems still - there are of course physicists that insist they have the correct answer or interpretation - the hard part is convincing enough physicists to agree with them, which they universally do not agree.

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> You have the most senior research professor of physics at caltech

What is the ranking of seniority of research professors at Caltech? Are you implying that a research professor is somehow better than a “regular” professor?

>Are you implying that a research professor is somehow better than a “regular” professor?

Probably when it comes to understanding and forming opinions on cutting edge research. . .

The only reason why that particular research professor is not “just” a professor is that he was denied tenure at the University of Chicago.

irrelevant - what is the endgame of what you are trying to drive at in this thread?

I’m trying to understand if “most senior research professor of physics at caltech” is supposed to mean something different from “professor of physics at caltech”.

I don't think the paper assumes a many worlds interpretation.

that's what it claims, but that is the only way to make sense of "particles are epiphenomena" + "Thus the Schroedinger field is a space-filling physical field whose value at any spatial point is the probability amplitude for an interaction to occur at that point."

it is saying that the only thing that exists is the quantum wave function

the only theory with a hope of credibility/coherence that says the only thing that exists is the quantum wave function is many worlds.

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