The Importance of Decoherence in Quantum Physics

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There's an approximation that is good and we start out approximately classical because of decoherence. But you can ask why the universe, both in its initial conditions and in its laws of physics, allows for classical mechanics to be a good approximation. We don't talk about that when we teach people quantum mechanics. Maybe we should. There's another level of the question though. I mean those two things together are the basic answer you would give.

Welcome to the July 2023 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape! These monthly excursions are funded by Patreon supporters (who are also the ones asking the questions). We take questions asked by Patreons, whittle them down to a more manageable number -- based primarily on whether I have anything interesting to say about them, not whether the questions themselves are good -- and sometimes group them together if they are about a similar topic.

We're experimenting with a new benefit for Patreon supporters: short video (or audio-only) reflections by me on the podcast that just happened. If you've been wondering whether to join up, this could be the time.

Blog post with questions and transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2023/07/03/ama-july-2023/

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