1. The London Interpretation is a variant of the Copenhagen Interpretation. Its world view is unashamedly Kantian / Positivist. Observers use measuring devices to analyse non-deterministic systems.
2. Measuring devices are viewed as “black boxes” capable of assigning “measurements” to intervals on the real number line.
3. Observers determine what a device measures by statistical analysis of effect it has on other measuring devices (Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle)
This differs significantly from standard Copenhagen which views measuring devices as essentially classical. According to Copenhagen, it is our knowledge of Classical physics which allows us to formulate the concepts and mathematics required to understand what a measuring device measures.
The London Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics does not require any pre-existing physics concepts or even any notions of time. (Wheeler's "Physics before Physics")
4. Quantum Mechanics is the mathematics resulting from the statistcal analysis of measurement streams.
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The presentation above is only an outline.
The Copenhagen Interpretation has now become so poluted as a brand that it is now virtually impossible to determine what it is. The London (Ticker-Tape) Interpretation is essentially an updated version of the Copenhagen Interpretation (I would hope that Bohr, Heisenberg and Born would recognise it and approve) + some speculation, especially regarding the nature of time.
Copyright (c) Shaun O'Kane 1997, 2007, 2008. email: sokane@bowmain.com