On Many-Minds Interpretations of Quantum Theory

This paper is a response to some recent discussions of many-minds interpretations in the philosophical literature. After an introduction to the many-minds idea, the complexity of quantum states for macroscopic objects is stressed. Then it is proposed that a characterization of the physical structure of observers is a proper goal for physical theory. It is argued that an observer cannot be defined merely by the instantaneous structure of a brain, but that the history of the brain's functioning must also be taken into account. Next the nature of probability in many-minds interpretations is discussed and it is suggested that only discrete probability models are needed. The paper concludes with brief comments on issues of actuality and identity over time.Comment: 16 pages, plain TeX, no macros required. Revised following comments November 199

Sovereignty and the American Courts at the Cocktail Party of International Law: The Dangers of Domestic Judicial Invocations of Foreign and International Law

Part I of this Article presents the background regarding the invocation of foreign and international law in federal courts. It discusses their use as precedential and supportive sources of authority and as the bases for legal liability. Part II discusses the fundamental infirmities and dangers related to the invocation of international and foreign law in U.S. jurisprudence. Further, this Part discusses the implications of such behavior on sovereignty, the rule of law, democratic values, constitutional adherence, foreign policy, and development. In conclusion, this Article finds that adherence or even reference to foreign and international authorities should be avoided if the foundational principles of the Republic are to be respected

Neural Unpredictability, the Interpretation of Quantum Theory, and the Mind-Body Problem

It has been suggested, on the one hand, that quantum states are just states of knowledge; and, on the other, that quantum theory is merely a theory of correlations. These suggestions are confronted with problems about the nature of psycho-physical parallelism and about how we could define probabilities for our individual future observations given our individual present and previous observations. The complexity of the problems is underlined by arguments that unpredictability in ordinary everyday neural functioning, ultimately stemming from small-scale uncertainties in molecular motions, may overwhelm, by many orders of magnitude, many conventionally recognized sources of observed ``quantum'' uncertainty. Some possible ways of avoiding the problems are considered but found wanting. It is proposed that a complete understanding of the relationship between subjective experience and its physical correlates requires the introduction of mathematical definitions and indeed of new physical laws.Comment: 27 pages, plain TeX, v2: missing reference inserted, related papers from http://www.poco.phy.cam.ac.uk/~mjd101

Budgetary and Distributional Effects of Adopting the Chained CPI

[Excerpt] This report examines the budgetary and distributional effects of using what is referred to as the Chained Consumer Price Index (C-CPI-U or chained CPI) as the official measure of inflation for adjusting federal revenue and spending programs for inflation. This report begins by describing general issues with measuring inflation before looking at concerns with the traditional CPI and the chained CPI. The report then examines the budgetary and distributional effects of adopting the chained CPI before offering some concluding observation

Finitary and Infinitary Mathematics, the Possibility of Possibilities and the Definition of Probabilities

Some relations between physics and finitary and infinitary mathematics are explored in the context of a many-minds interpretation of quantum theory. The analogy between mathematical ``existence'' and physical ``existence'' is considered from the point of view of philosophical idealism. Some of the ways in which infinitary mathematics arises in modern mathematical physics are discussed. Empirical science has led to the mathematics of quantum theory. This in turn can be taken to suggest a picture of reality involving possible minds and the physical laws which determine their probabilities. In this picture, finitary and infinitary mathematics play separate roles. It is argued that mind, language, and finitary mathematics have similar prerequisites, in that each depends on the possibility of possibilities. The infinite, on the other hand, can be described but never experienced, and yet it seems that sets of possibilities and the physical laws which define their probabilities can be described most simply in terms of infinitary mathematics.Comment: 21 pages, plain TeX, related papers from http://www.poco.phy.cam.ac.uk/~mjd101

RUPA and Fiduciary Duty: The Texture of Relationship

The fiduciary duty rules in the Revised Uniform Partnership Act of 1994 (RUPA) are discussed. RUPA represents a major and sufficient move toward a contractarian statement of the law