Are Particles Conscious? Part Three

Superposition-of-State and Collapse of the Wave-Function: If you have the probability of several things or outcomes being possible, then you can't know which of the possible options is the certainty or actual outcome until such time as you actually make a measurement or observation. In the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, the act of measurement or observation turns probability into certainty, but until such a measurement or observation is made, all possible outcomes are superimposed on each other. An unobserved coin is both heads up and tails up. Only when the coin is observed does the superposition of possibilities collapse into an either/or state. In other words, when something is measured or observed, that something somehow decides which option it chooses to adopt. In other words it becomes aware that it is being observed in an unnatural state and thus corrects that unnatural state into a natural state quick-smart. The technical term is that its wave-function has collapsed from all states, the superposition-of-states to an either/or state. The coin becomes either heads up, or tails up, not remaining as a superposition of both heads and tails up. The question is, can a coin be both heads up and tails up at the same time and in the same place?

In reality there can be no superposition-of-states or collapse of the wave-function since both of these concepts are dependent on there being an observer. All of these superposition-of-states and collapse of wave-functions are told from the perspective of the human species, a very rare commodity in cosmic terms. Vast amounts of cosmic real estate in time and in space have no biological observers unless you want to suggest that the humble particle is in and of itself an observer who knows about superposition-of-states and can initiate wave-function collapses. That aside, from the perspective of the Cosmos itself, what happens, happens, and happens purely independently of the human or other observer. There is no superposition, just either/or.

Then too, maybe it's all just a programmed software simulation.

Double-Slit Experiment: To make a very long story somewhat shorter, the Double-Slit Experiment (DSE) demonstrates that matter can exhibit wave behavior or particle behavior depending on the exact DSE experimental setup which already implies that somehow the matter in question is aware of the DSE experimental setup and behaves accordingly. However there's no apparent decision-making since the either/or experimental results (wave/particle) are always either/or (wave/particle) depending on the initial setup. While that's weird in and of itself (wave/particle duality), it gets worst - far worse.

However, when an observer, most likely the experimenter, decides to intrude and get up close and personal with the experiment and actually observe firsthand what's going on with this weird either/or wave/particle duality, the duality disappears and there is no longer an either/or. Everything is now strictly particle behavior. So now the matter used (in the experiment) in question is not only aware of the experimental setup but now also aware of the observer and changes spots (if originally a wave) in midstream. So, once observed, wave behavior now has to morph into particle behavior (how is that accomplished?). Anyway, no actual choice on the part of the experimental matter is being made since wave behavior will always morph into particle behavior when observed in the DSE.

But it gets weirder yet. Then there is the Delayed DSE. Thus far, the observer is observing the waves or particles (or both) when they actually pass through the slit(s). What happens when the observer only gets up close and personal after the waves or particles have passed through the slit(s). Once through the slits, surely the matter in whatever form cannot change its mind and morph. Wanna bet?

If you observe what would have been wave behavior unobserved, but do so after the matter involved has already passed through the double slits but before the wave reaches the impartial detector screen, the wave behavior morphs into particle behavior. How can that happen after-the-fact? Further, there's the implication that the matter in question, knowing that it has been observed, travels back in time (a free will conscious decision?) in order to correct its ultimate wave behavior into particle behavior from the get-go.

I cannot reject the evidence, yet I cannot accept the conclusions, so something is screwy somewhere and hidden variables abound. All is not what it appears to be.

Then too, maybe it's all just a programmed software simulation.

Morphing Trilogy of Neutrinos: The neutrino is an electrically neutral particle that has a very tiny mass. Like all non-force particles, neutrinos come in three generations or flavors. There's the electron neutrino (the lightweight); the muon neutrino (the middleweight) and the tau neutrino (the heavyweight). Each have slightly different masses otherwise there wouldn't be a trilogy of neutrino types. So far, so good, there's no anomaly (apart from the fact that there are three different flavors or generations but that's an issue that's separate and apart). The anomaly is that each type of neutrino can morph or oscillate into each other type while on its cosmic journey as they propagate through space (from whatever produced the neutrino in the first place which could be via nuclear fission reactions and radioactive decay; nuclear fusion in stars; supernovae explosions; cosmic rays interacting with our atmosphere, etc.). Apart from the problem of how particles with slightly differing masses can change spots (a violation of conservation laws seems in order here), there's the issue of how does an electron neutrino decide to morph into a muon neutrino or a tau neutrino (and back again); a muon neutrino decide to morph into an electron neutrino or a tau neutrino (and back again); a tau neutrino decide to morph into an electron neutrino or a muon neutrino (and back again).

Then too, maybe it's all just a programmed software simulation.

Conclusion: In conclusion, we've seen how the realm of the particle, otherwise known as quantum mechanics or quantum physics, is awash with weirdness. The question arises, what does this weirdness actually mean? The concept of Panpsychism can address that weirdness by postulating that particles themselves have a (limited) degree of consciousness, awareness, perception, and even in some cases free will. However, Panpsychism might just replace one bucket of quantum weirdness with another bucket of weirdness! The idea that an electron (for example) might have awareness, knowledge, free will, etc. just will not sit well with your average layperson who's liable to respond with a WTF, and will be totally bucketed by professional physicists, even if they can't do a better job of explaining the whys and wherefores of the particle realm. Professional physicists just tend to adopt the rational and employment retention philosophy of "don't worry what it means, just shut up and calculate".

Then too, maybe it's all just a programmed software simulation.