The Geneva Symmetry Group, Beyond Spacetime, and the Space and Time After Quantum Gravity Project are happy to present a talk by Rasmus Jaksland
Thursday, 12 April 2018, in Room B002 at Uni Bastions:
Rasmus Jaksland (Norwegian University of Science and Technology): Entanglement as the world-making relation
Anyone who wishes to attend is welcome.
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Rasmus Jaksland (Norwegian University of Science and Technology): Entanglement as the world-making relation
Abstract: Distance, Michael Esfeld (2017) proposes, is the world-making relation that together with matter points comprise the most meagre ontology of the natural world that is coherent and empirically adequate. This paper offers entanglement – as quantified by entanglement entropy – as an alternative world-making relation. Entanglement is interesting in this regard since it is consistent even with non-spatial theories. The paper thereby defends the metaphysical salience of non-spatial theories, which include a number of the prospective theories of quantum gravity. Obviously, an account of distance (space) is the predominant problem of empirical adequacy facing entanglement as a world-making relation. A possible resolution of this problem utilizes insights from the Ryu-Takayanagi formula (a holographic relation between entanglement and spacetime) and Susskind and Maldacena’s related ER=EPR conjecture (a relation between bell pairs and wormholes). Together, I argue, these indicate a metaphysical interchangeability between entanglement and distance. In this light, some final remarks are made about the notion of non-spatial quantum gravity theories drawing also on Susskind’s recent QM=GR conjecture.
In terms of technical difficulty, this talk rates 3/5
