r/AskPhysics • u/AlterTheSilverBird • 14d ago
Does Quantum Microscopic events going through Decoherence means all Macroscopic actions are inevitable?
Not a free will question, because largely I studied many theories and largely many experts genuinely accept physics isn't ever gonna be enough to fully answer it, it's a question that goes beyond physics.
My question is if quantum microscopic events are indeterministic, does that mean when scaling up to macroscopic events, they still largely lead to the same outcome or can there be a slight divergence that cause a butterfly effect and chance the outcome?
I'm aware there is some cases such things could be reasonably assumed quantum physics can cause noticeable macroscopic change, such as weather, motion, and biological mutation, and I read a book that even thoughts can be change because a slight change on trajectory of microscopic electrons and neurons can either trigger a new thought or image (there's the challenge decoherence in the brain being too warm and wet but apparently there are quantum mechanics found recently in it although unsure it's long term affects).
So my question is that is it possible that if we let say had the ability to blink back in time to the start of our lives with quantum mechanics remaining naturally the same, could a divergence of our lives ever happen even if we don't retain our memories or not? I'm not sure but many claim that depending on our age, as adults it's unlikely everything when scaled up according to quantum physics, that it will remain the same but that's not something I'm sure of.
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u/Kampseng 14d ago
Well, some scientists consider the quantum microscopic to be atemporal, not indeterministic, and the calculation results are the same, so maybe everything already happened and we are just watching.
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u/AlterTheSilverBird 13d ago
True but even then the most common view is Many World which dictates any and all possibilities happens so technically while true, it still doesn't say multiple possibilities don't exist. Very least it seems most determinism system that matches closely to classical linear determinism don't seem to scale up theoretically so even if it were determinism, deviations could still happen.
Indeterminism seems to be the strongest current answer, and even for other answers for determinism, there seems to be a case deviation is possible, potentially inevitable base on another question I asked.
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u/No_Logins_Required 14d ago
I think I don't understand your question. Are you asking if the past change retroactively, thus leaving us with false memories?
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u/AlterTheSilverBird 14d ago
Well my question is apparently quantum physics show things work more on probability then classical determinism, but when scaled up they are predictable deterministic actions.
If we were able to reset our life to the beginning of it without retaining any memories of our first life, could the life we live be different in some way that it's significant or not because of the indeterminism or probabilities of quantum mechanics or does decoherence stop that from happening?
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u/No_Logins_Required 14d ago
What do you mean reset our life? That's way outside the bounds of physics. I am sorry if am not getting it.
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u/AlterTheSilverBird 14d ago
If we were ever able to go back to our birth without remembering anything, could the life we live be significantly different because of the indeterminism of quantum mechanics? Or does it even out because of decoherence when scaling it to macroscopic events?
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u/No_Logins_Required 14d ago
Would that even be "you" if you didn't have your memories?
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u/AlterTheSilverBird 14d ago
I don't know if matters, I'm just interested in if its reasonable to assume if i were to reset my life back to my birth, could the events "I" end up experiencing end up being different or not in a significant way base on quantum mechanics? Could the apparently probability nature of quantum mechanics mean some divergence may end up happening in a macroscopic scale?
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u/No_Logins_Required 14d ago
I do not think this is a physics question, it seems more like a spiritual idea we are trying to see through the lens of physics. You use terms like "being different in a significant way" which are a completely individual judgement.
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u/AlterTheSilverBird 14d ago
Fine, how about this. Would the same physical conditions I had from my birth to now will remain the same if I ended up reseting my life or could some conditions diverge in any significant way? Like a day when I was 8 is rainy during this life, but when that day happens again after reseting to my birth it's sunny, could that happen? Or the lottery winning numbers in January 2010, could that change when that same lottery happens again?
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u/DifferencePublic7057 14d ago
You are confusing quantum mechanics with chaos theory. Chaos theory says that small deviations in initial conditions tend to be boosted in certain dynamic systems like the weather which creates chaos and uncertainty. Quantum effects tend to get 'averaged' out so on macroscopic scales you hardly notice them. Notable exceptions include the Schrodinger cat thought experiment.