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In the "many worlds" interpretation, observation appears to split the observer into a new "world".

How does this happen?

Zauberflöte
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    What does “entangle into a new ‘world’” mean? MWI doesn’t have any additional dynamics compared with any other interpretation of QM. People seem to think MWI is extremely exotic but there is little “there there”. It makes the same predictions as other interpretations. The only way a “new world” differs from the “old world” is the outcome of the measurement of a quantum observable. – G. Smith Jun 01 '21 at 00:19
  • Parallel Worlds Probably Exist. Here’s Why – mmesser314 Jun 01 '21 at 01:36
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    Parallel worlds don't exist. That's science fiction, with no physical core. – Deschele Schilder Jun 01 '21 at 02:16
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    If parallel worlds existed/(are predicted by the theory) , many worlds would not longer be an interpretation of QM, but a new theory to replace it – anna v Jun 01 '21 at 04:16
  • @DescheleSchilder - In spite of the title, this is a Veritaseum video on the Many Worlds interpretation. – mmesser314 Jun 01 '21 at 04:46
  • @annav - In spite of the title, this is a Veritaseum video on the Many Worlds interpretation. – mmesser314 Jun 01 '21 at 04:46
  • Thank you for discussing vs. merely voting my question down.

    "Entangle into a new world" -- when an observer sees a particle, according to MW, the universe apparently splits off into a new reality where the wave function was observed.

    It seems there are other "realities" / "worlds" where the wave function was observed differently.

    So how does this work, in theory? How would consciousness and observation play a role in these split worlds?

     – Zauberflöte Jun 01 '21 at 05:17
  • @mmesser314 I do not know veritseum, but the word "interpretation" has a strict meaning in physics. If they are predicting detectable worlds splitting of f, it is not an interpretation but a new theory, by the use of the word "interpretation" in physics theories. – anna v Jun 01 '21 at 05:37
  • So how does this work, in theory? MWI has almost nothing to say about this, which is why there is no there there. It says “If the measurement produced eigenvalue $X$, you’re now in a new world. If the measurement produced eigenvalue $Y$, you’re now in a different new world.” There is no world-cloning mechanism other than measurement. Don’t interpret this as me criticizing MWI. I am criticizing pop-sci explanations of MWI. – G. Smith Jun 01 '21 at 06:02
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    How would consciousness and observation play a role in these split worlds? My understanding is that there are relatively few physicists today who think that consciousness has anything to do with “collapsing the wave function”. – G. Smith Jun 01 '21 at 06:05
  • This might be helpful: https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/536580/123208 – PM 2Ring Jun 01 '21 at 06:42
  • My answer to Does the collapse of the wave function happen immediately everywhere? might be helpful. – mmesser314 Jun 01 '21 at 13:36

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