[Paper Review] Closed timelike curves, superluminal signals, and "free will" in universal quantum mechanics

Hrvoje Nikolić|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jun 2, 2010

Quantum Mechanics and Applications5 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes that quantum mechanics (QM) is universal, describing not only physical systems but also observers, including their brains. In this framework, 'free will' is an illusion arising from unconscious brain processes, enabling nonlocal entanglement to create the illusion of superluminal signaling. Crucially, without true free will, closed timelike curves (CTCs) can be consistently described using linear self-consistency, avoiding Deutsch's nonlinear constraints.

ABSTRACT

We explore some implications of the hypothesis that quantum mechanics (QM) is universal, i.e., that QM does not merely describe information accessible to observers, but that it also describes the observers themselves. From that point of view, "free will" (FW) - the ability of experimentalists to make free choices of initial conditions - is merely an illusion. As a consequence, by entangling a part of brain (responsible for the illusion of FW) with a distant particle, one may create nonlocal correlations that can be interpreted as superluminal signals. In addition, if FW is an illusion, then QM on a closed timelike curve can be made consistent even without the Deutch nonlinear consistency constraint.

Motivation & Objective

• To investigate the implications of quantum mechanics as a universal theory, where observers—including their brains—are governed by quantum laws.
• To examine whether the illusion of free will in observers can be explained through quantum entanglement and environmental influences.
• To explore whether nonlocal quantum correlations can be used to create the practical illusion of superluminal signaling.
• To provide an alternative to Deutsch’s nonlinear consistency condition for quantum mechanics on closed timelike curves (CTCs), using linear self-consistency instead.

Proposed method

• Model measurement as unitary entanglement between a quantum system and a brain state via the von Neumann measurement scheme.
• Use superposition and entanglement to describe how a brain can evolve into a state corresponding to observing a particular outcome.
• Introduce a thought experiment where one entangled particle is used to manipulate the brain’s state, creating the illusion of free will and enabling nonlocal influence.
• Apply the linear self-consistency condition to the total wave function on a CTC, requiring it to be single-valued in time to avoid logical paradoxes.
• Demonstrate that this linear constraint is compatible with unitary evolution and does not require nonlinear dynamics, unlike Deutsch’s approach.
• Argue that without true free will, the need to preserve it on CTCs is eliminated, making the linear self-consistency condition physically acceptable.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can the illusion of free will in quantum observers be explained as an emergent feature of quantum brain dynamics?
• RQ2 Can nonlocal quantum entanglement be used to create the practical illusion of superluminal signaling between distant observers?
• RQ3 Is it possible to consistently describe quantum mechanics on closed timelike curves without invoking nonlinear consistency conditions?
• RQ4 Does the absence of true free will in universal quantum mechanics allow for a simpler, linear self-consistency condition on CTCs?
• RQ5 How does the universal quantum mechanics framework resolve the grandfather paradox in the context of CTCs?

Key findings

• The illusion of free will arises from unconscious environmental influences on the brain, not from genuine agency, within universal quantum mechanics.
• By entangling a distant particle with a brain region responsible for the illusion of free will, nonlocal correlations can be created that mimic superluminal signaling.
• The illusion of superluminal signaling is indistinguishable from a real one in all practical scenarios, due to the macroscopic distinguishability of brain states.
• Without true free will, the self-consistency condition on the total wave function of a system with a CTC can be imposed linearly, avoiding the need for Deutsch’s nonlinear constraints.
• The linear self-consistency condition ensures that only single-valued wave functions evolve in time, preserving consistency without violating unitarity.
• The absence of free will in universal QM removes the motivation to preserve it on CTCs, making the linear approach both simpler and physically acceptable.