Quantum-Mechanical Self-Measurement

In D. Dieks & P. Vermaas (eds.), The Modal Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics. Kluwer Academic Publishers. pp. 307-318 (1998)
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Abstract

The idea of self-measurement by a quantum-mechanical automaton is presented, and the conclusions that are typically reached about what we can come to know from doing self-measurements are shown to be mistaken. Specifically, it is shown that, while we are capable of _predicting_ and _measuring_ the values of two incompatible observables, we are incapable of _knowing_ both these values simultaneously. This is an example of the interesting limitations quantum mechanics places on knowledge.

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Bradley Monton
Wuhan University

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