The Physicist Inside the Ambiguous Room: an argument against the need of consciousness in quantum mechanical measurement process

This paper aims to invalidate the hypothesis that consciousness is necessary for the quantum measurement process. To achieve this target, I propose a considerable modification of the Schroedinger cat and the Dead-Alive Physicist thought experiments, called 'PIAR', short for Physicist Inside the Ambiguous Room. A specific strategy has enabled me to plan the experiment in such a way as to logically justify the inconsistency of the above hypothesis and to oblige its supporters to rely on an alternative interpretation of quantum mechanics in which the real-world phenomena exist independently of our conscious mind and where observers play no special role. Moreover, in my description, the measurement apparatus will be complete, in the sense that the experiment, given that it includes also the experimenter, will begin and end exclusively within a sealed room. Hence, my analysis provides a logical explanation of the relationship between the observer and the objects of her/his experimental observation; this and a few other implications are discussed in the fifth section and the conclusions.Comment: 10 pages and 2 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2006.0636

Correction to: The Dead-Alive Physicist Experiment: A Case-Study Against the Hypothesis that Consciousness Causes the Wave-Function Collapse in the Quantum Mechanical Measurement Process

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Energy and environmental performance of a heat pump in different power grid scenarios

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Advanced Theory of Consciousness

The topic of this article is consciousness and, in it, I will theorize what consciousness is like and where it arises from. The work began to emerge and develop over time starting from my belief that consciousness is a physical self-referential phenomenon; thus, my attention was focused on the research for a self-referential process. I was confident that I could satisfy my curiosity through the reductionist method adopted by science. Unfortunately, neuroscientists and philosophers of mind realized that the attempts to explain consciousness with this method have all proved inconclusive. For this reason, they are now trying to address the problem of consciousness with non-reductionist methods. As for me, I have always remained faithful to reductionism, but with the conviction that quantum mechanics, even though capable of making predictions with an extraordinary degree of accuracy, is a theory founded on wrong concepts. Thus, surprisingly, I have found a solution to the mystery of consciousness, perceiving a way to explain what it is like at its fundamental level in the field of quantum mechanics and, particularly, in one of its counterintuitive and generally less debated aspects among physicists today, but which aroused great interest in me: I am referring to the spin of the electron that will be described in this paper as a self-interacting process. This paper will also offer a rational explanation of the results obtainable in all experiments for measuring the spin of electrons through Stern-Gerlach magnets. In addition, my theory of consciousness is susceptible to experimental control

A review on microcogeneration national testing procedures

Abstract Several standard testing procedures were prepared or are in a developing phase in many countries, to provide methods for determining the performance of MCHP (Micro Combined Heat and Power) systems. This is due to the quick diffusion of microcogenerators worldwide, especially in the Japanese, European and North American markets, and to existing supporting mechanisms, that require the achievement of specific minimum energy performance. In the framework of Subtask B of Annex 54 of International Energy Agency, information about national standard testing procedures were gathered. In this paper, the main available national standards are summarized, and a comparison is performed

selection of solar collectors technology and surface for a desiccant cooling system based on energy environmental and economic analysis

Desiccant-based air handling units allow significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings with respect to conventional air conditioning systems. Benefits are maximized when they interact with renewable energy technologies, such as solar collectors. Due to the high requirements of humidifiers, water consumption is a major issue for desiccant cooling technology. Therefore, a water consumption analysis should be also performed.In this work, experimental tests and data derived from scientific and technical literature are used to implement a model of a solar desiccant cooling system, considering three different solar caption technologies (air, flat plate and evacuated collectors). Simulations were then performed to compare the energy, environmental and economic performance and water consumption of the system with those of a desiccant-based unit in which regeneration thermal energy is supplied by a natural gas boiler, and with a conventional air handling device. A trade-off solution is chosen, consisting of 16 m2 of flat-plate solar collectors. This solution allows to obtain, with respect to the reference system, a reduction of primary energy consumption and of the equivalent CO2 emissions of 24.2% and 27.1%, respectively, with an acceptable pay-back time of 4.81 years, and a water consumption very similar to that of the reference system

Experimental Assessment of Energy Performance and Emissions of a Residential Microcogenerator

Microcogeneration can guarantee sensible primary energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the residential sector. In this paper, the results of experimental tests carried out on a microcogenerator (5.5 kW electric power and 14.8 kW thermal power) based on a natural gas fuelled internal combustion engine, integrated with a condensing boiler, have been analyzed. Tests have been performed out at Institute for Energy Economy and Application Technology (IfE) of Technical University of Munich (Germany). The test facility allowed to simulate the thermal energy requirements of a real residential application, represented by a Multi Family House consisting of 10 apartments, and to evaluate the energy flows of the conversion devices in actual operating conditions. Four type days, characteristic of Mediterranean climatic conditions, have been used to define space heating and domestic hot water user’s requirements. Experimental tests have been performed to implement energy and environmental analysis, comparing the system consisting of cogenerator and integration boiler with a reference system. Results showed that the former can achieve a primary energy saving of about 6%, and CO2 equivalent emissions reduction of about 12%. Finally, the algorithm defined by the European Directive on the promotion of high efficiency cogeneration has been implemented; it demonstrated that the primary energy saving is well above the limit value prescribed by the Directive. Therefore the cogeneration plant can access support mechanisms that can help to achieve the economic feasibility of the system, besides energy and environmental benefits

Advanced Video-Based Processing for Low-Cost Damage Assessment of Buildings under Seismic Loading in Shaking Table Tests

This paper explores the potential of a low-cost, advanced video-based technique for the assessment of structural damage to buildings caused by seismic loading. A low-cost, high-speed video camera was utilized for the motion magnification processing of footage of a two-story reinforcedconcrete frame building subjected to shaking table tests. The damage after seismic loading was estimated by analyzing the dynamic behavior (i.e., modal parameters) and the structural deformations of the building in magnified videos. The results using the motion magnification procedure were compared for validation of the method of the damage assessment obtained through analyses of conventional accelerometric sensors and high-precision optical markers tracked using a passive 3D motion capture system. In addition, 3D laser scanning to obtain an accurate survey of the building geometry before and after the seismic tests was carried out. In particular, accelerometric recordings were also processed and analyzed using several stationary and nonstationary signal processing techniques with the aim of analyzing the linear behavior of the undamaged structure and the nonlinear structural behavior during damaging shaking table tests. The proposed procedure based on the analysis of magnified videos provided an accurate estimate of the main modal frequency and the damage location through the analysis of the modal shapes, which were confirmed using advanced analyses of the accelerometric data. Consequently, the main novelty of the study was the highlighting of a simple procedure with high potential for the extraction and analysis of modal parameters, with a special focus on the analysis of the modal shape’s curvature, which provides accurate information on the location of the damage in a structure, while using a noncontact and low-cost method