Reality...What is it?

[PennyKay]

I've pondered and subsequently researched what reality really is, as I'm sure we all have.

I have seen and heard many different opinions from a number of sources.

These range from Wikipedia's
'Reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or may be thought to be.[1] In its widest definition, reality includes everything that is and has being, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible.'

to the Quantum Mechanic theory
http://www.ipod.org.uk/reality/

to a religious person I questioned
'My perception of reality is being aware of what happens on this planet. Certainly, I can't keep up with all of it all the time. Some conditions don't need to be reported daily to affirm their existence. Such as poverty, hunger, disease, and natural disasters. Natural disasters make the news if the death toll is a significant number. Currently, the aftermath of a cyclone in Myanmar has claimed 4,000 dead, the death toll may be as high as 15,000. No one has yet discovered a cure for cancer, nor AIDS, and many serious health problems still continue to baffle medical research. Droughts still devastate food supplies for millions, earthquakes destroy settlements and kill, and floods wipe out many lives.'

I wondered what you think yourself. Is reality personal to you, is it what you are aware of yourself, or is reality a universal truth that doesn't change where you are, who you are or what you've experienced? Or does it go deeper than that, deep into the world of quantum mechanics?

Any thoughts welcome...

 

[Reptillian]

I talked about this a few years ago with an old professor of mine. I was learning a bit about quantum field theory and told him that I didn't think things like virtual particles, quarks, electron fields, etc were real. I told him that I thought these were just stories that we tell ourselves about what we're doing, and that I think they reveal more about the way human beings think than they do about nature itself. Then he dropped the "what is real?" bomb on me...thats definitely a difficult question since its related to the question "what is truth?"

Personally I think of truth as something absolute and eternal that exists outside of myself. To me reality is our perception of objective truth. I'm sure you've heard the old "blind men touching the elephant" analogy. One guy says its a tree, one guy says its a hose, one guys says its a blanket. Each has different perceptions so each has their own ideas and subjective reality. The elephant would represent truth and objective reality.

 

[Caladan]

Reality is waking up in the morning, having a cup of coffee, open the daily news and see what are the new events in the middle east.
then going to the department or work.

 

[PennyKay]

Reality is waking up in the morning, having a cup of coffee, open the daily news and see what are the new events in the middle east.
then going to the department or work.

So realty is personal to you, what you perceive it to be?

 

[Caladan]

So realty is personal to you, what you perceive it to be?

the current events in the middle east are both personal and collective, if you are not updated, you may find yourself out of the game. today, outside the region, news of the middle east should be relevant to all working people, who's livelihood is effected by the realities of this region.
and what I perceive reality to be? it may matter what I think of reality, I may hold my opinions and convictions, but eventually reality conforms these to itself. so I try to make my opinions and convictions realistic and limited.

 

[Revoltingest]

I've pondered and subsequently researched what reality really is, as I'm sure we all have.

I have seen and heard many different opinions from a number of sources.

These range from Wikipedia's
Reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or may be thought to be.[1] In its widest definition, reality includes everything that is and has being, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible.

This is the best definition of reality....but there is more. Reality is an entity with dual natures. It teases us with glimpses of it, but
it is shy, mostly hiding & seldom revealing much. It is full of humor, mocking our poor senses & inadequate brains with conflicting
interpretations, but it is dead serious in visiting upon us the consequences of ignoring it. It is predictable, so that we may discern
useful laws & harness it for our betterment, but it is also inscrutable & unpredictable on a fundamental level.
Some would say that reality is God, but were this true we'd have a bi-polar god. Is it a benevolent master keeping us as beloved pets,
or a big bully with a magnifying glass focused upon ants under a hot sun? I don't know which, but I wear a hat on sunny days....just in case.

 

[Meow Mix]

Reality is that which exists as what it is regardless of what we know or think about it -- and even regardless of whether we have the cognitive capacity to know it.

We may not be able to absolutely know what reality is, but we can absolutely know THAT reality is (and that there is one reality).

Going back to Reptillian's example of phantom particles and such: Bell's inequality ultimately means that in quantum physics we have to abandon either scientific realism, locality, or both. Most interpretations of quantum physics usually drop scientific realism, meaning that while the equations give us correct answers they aren't supposed to be describing something "real."

For instance, the Copenhagen Interpretation of the wave function doesn't treat it as a real thing that exists, just as a neat way of thinking about things to cognize why we're getting an answer. It's not supposed to be a thing that exists in reality the way we're currently describing it: as Bohr said, "Shut up and calculate."

Likewise Feynman's many-paths integral doesn't really mean that particles are literally taking every path; it's just a thought-tool that lets us pretend we know what's going on that just so happens to give correct answers that match experiment.

Lately people like Roland Omnes (and before him, Einstein) have been trying to restore realism to quantum theory and they're having some success with Quantum decoherence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

 

[Faithfreedom]

There are 2 realities in this world. Death and taxes.

 

[Meow Mix]

There are 2 realities in this world. Death and taxes.

lol. frubals

 

[Willamena]

I talked about this a few years ago with an old professor of mine. I was learning a bit about quantum field theory and told him that I didn't think things like virtual particles, quarks, electron fields, etc were real. I told him that I thought these were just stories that we tell ourselves about what we're doing, and that I think they reveal more about the way human beings think than they do about nature itself. Then he dropped the "what is real?" bomb on me...thats definitely a difficult question since its related to the question "what is truth?"

Personally I think of truth as something absolute and eternal that exists outside of myself. To me reality is our perception of objective truth. I'm sure you've heard the old "blind men touching the elephant" analogy. One guy says its a tree, one guy says its a hose, one guys says its a blanket. Each has different perceptions so each has their own ideas and subjective reality. The elephant would represent truth and objective reality.

I like this post. The "truth and objective reality" elephant, to each of the blind men, represents what they imagine to be, beyond their percetion, as it does to each of us. It is "the stories we tell ourselves about what we are doing," and what's going on, and it does indeed reveal ourselves as much as any nature.

If you imagine an apple sitting in a bin at the supermarket, is it real?

 

[Twig pentagram]

Reality is the greatest of all the gods.

 

[ellenjanuary]

Reality is that which exists as what it is regardless of what we know or think about it -- and even regardless of whether we have the cognitive capacity to know it.

We may not be able to absolutely know what reality is, but we can absolutely know THAT reality is (and that there is one reality).

Going back to Reptillian's example of phantom particles and such: Bell's inequality ultimately means that in quantum physics we have to abandon either scientific realism, locality, or both. Most interpretations of quantum physics usually drop scientific realism, meaning that while the equations give us correct answers they aren't supposed to be describing something "real."

For instance, the Copenhagen Interpretation of the wave function doesn't treat it as a real thing that exists, just as a neat way of thinking about things to cognize why we're getting an answer. It's not supposed to be a thing that exists in reality the way we're currently describing it: as Bohr said, "Shut up and calculate."

Likewise Feynman's many-paths integral doesn't really mean that particles are literally taking every path; it's just a thought-tool that lets us pretend we know what's going on that just so happens to give correct answers that match experiment.

Lately people like Roland Omnes (and before him, Einstein) have been trying to restore realism to quantum theory and they're having some success with Quantum decoherence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Hmmm... quantum decoherence, where'd I hear that before? Ya know, MM; if I weren't so obsessed with Gwyneth Paltrow, I might be developing a new infatuation...

I'm still thinking probability wave - objective reality being the most probable combination of subjective realities. I've seen things, I've processed simultaniety; and the worst part is being sober at the time, so... more research.

 

[ellenjanuary]

That link glosses over a recent specification, namely what decoherence means to quantum computing. Also states that decoherence is thermodynamically irreversable, but in the specific case; what does it mean, uncollapsable wavelength?

Fun times. What is reality? If it's interesting, it's real. If it ain't, it's reality TV.

 

[ellenjanuary]

Reality is the greatest of all the gods.

No god is greater than tao.

 

[Reptillian]

Reality is that which exists as what it is regardless of what we know or think about it -- and even regardless of whether we have the cognitive capacity to know it.

We may not be able to absolutely know what reality is, but we can absolutely know THAT reality is (and that there is one reality).

Going back to Reptillian's example of phantom particles and such: Bell's inequality ultimately means that in quantum physics we have to abandon either scientific realism, locality, or both. Most interpretations of quantum physics usually drop scientific realism, meaning that while the equations give us correct answers they aren't supposed to be describing something "real."

For instance, the Copenhagen Interpretation of the wave function doesn't treat it as a real thing that exists, just as a neat way of thinking about things to cognize why we're getting an answer. It's not supposed to be a thing that exists in reality the way we're currently describing it: as Bohr said, "Shut up and calculate."

Likewise Feynman's many-paths integral doesn't really mean that particles are literally taking every path; it's just a thought-tool that lets us pretend we know what's going on that just so happens to give correct answers that match experiment.

Lately people like Roland Omnes (and before him, Einstein) have been trying to restore realism to quantum theory and they're having some success with Quantum decoherence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

I'm curious, were you taught a particular interpretation when you first learned quantum mechanics, or were you exposed to them all? My professors were all fans of good old Copenhagen. I've noticed that other interpretations seem to be favored in different universities though...I've always wanted to learn more about Bohm's interpretation specifically.

If I had to choose which to abandon for Bell, I think I'd get rid of locality before giving up on realism...just seems more appealing to me.

I like this post. The "truth and objective reality" elephant, to each of the blind men, represents what they imagine to be, beyond their percetion, as it does to each of us. It is "the stories we tell ourselves about what we are doing," and what's going on, and it does indeed reveal ourselves as much as any nature.

If you imagine an apple sitting in a bin at the supermarket, is it real?

I'm glad you liked my post. The ancient philosopher Plato would probably say that the imaginary apple at the supermarket is more real than any apple you might see out there in the world. He thought that when you see something like a circle you recognize it by comparing it to an ideal circle that exists in your mind. Circles you encounter "out there" in the world are never perfect circles, but the idea of a circle that exists in your mind is. In some ways its more of a circle than any circle that exists in nature. If you'd like more information on Plato's Theory of Forms, here is the wikipedia link: Theory of Forms - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[YmirGF]

Any thoughts welcome...

I try not to confuse my perceptions of reality with what reality may, in fact, be.

In my delusional viewpoint, reality is like a well oiled marble one tries to grasp, and just when one thinks they've caught hold of that marble, it slips out and one is left with nothing but an oily residue.

 

[Meow Mix]

I'm curious, were you taught a particular interpretation when you first learned quantum mechanics, or were you exposed to them all? My professors were all fans of good old Copenhagen. I've noticed that other interpretations seem to be favored in different universities though...I've always wanted to learn more about Bohm's interpretation specifically.

If I had to choose which to abandon for Bell, I think I'd get rid of locality before giving up on realism...just seems more appealing to me.

No, I've never been taught a particular interpretation... in fact in class we barely touched on interpretations at all; just sort of took the Bohr approach (we "shut up" and calculated )

My professor in phsx 2 & 3 was a British particle guy who was more an experimental type than a theoretical type so he was ultimately more concerned with getting right answers than WHY the answers were right...

One of my other phsx professors though wrote a book (Amazon.com: After the Science Wars: Science and the Study of Science (9780415212090): Keith Ashman, Phillip Barringer: Books) and has since dropped teaching to play professional poker. Every time he's in town I hit the bars with him and we do nothing but talk about some of the deepest mysteries of physics that I can keep up with him on. That's the sort of guy, in my opinion, that should be teaching more and playing cards less

Goodness, he has a wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_M._Ashman

 

[Willamena]

All the coolest philosophers are base players.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Reality is the undefinable unique experience in which each present moment manifests.
An awareness which involves the effects of the subjective and objective, manifesting in what is essentially indistinguishable and fluid.

Put simply best as words can relay, "Thinking of an apple is just as real as holding an apple in way it's experienced."

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Reality is what is.