Cosmological Constant, Quantum Measurement, and the Problem of Time

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel idea suggesting that the interconnected problems of the cosmological constant, quantum measurement, and the problem of time in quantum gravity can be mutually addressed through a unified approach.

Contribution

It introduces a new conceptual framework linking the cosmological constant, quantum measurement, and the problem of time in quantum gravity.

Findings

Provides a unified perspective on three major puzzles in physics.

Suggests a potential solution to the fine-tuning problem of the cosmological constant.

Offers insights into the nature of quantum measurement and time in quantum gravity.

Abstract

Three of the big puzzles of theoretical physics are the following: (i) There is apparently no time evolution in the dynamics of quantum general relativity, because the allowed quantum states must obey the Hamiltonian constraint. (ii) During a quantum measurement, the state of the quantum system randomly collapses from being in a linear superposition of the eigenstates of the measured observable, to just one of the eigenstates, in apparent violation of the predictions of the deterministic, linear Schr\"{o}dinger equation. (iii) The observed value of the cosmological constant is exceedingly small, compared to its natural value, creating a serious fine-tuning problem. In this essay we propose a novel idea to show how the three problems help solve each other.