In quantum mechanics, we have states and observables. Quantum states (“state vectors”) represent entities such as electrons and photons, and quantum observables interact with the states to yield measurement results that are visible in our physical world, such as a measurement of the spin of an electron.

In the Heisenberg picture for quantum mechanics, we think of quantum states as being always the same, never changing; however, the observables evolve as time goes on, which enable physical measurements to also evolve with time. Note that this does not mean that the world according to the Heisenberg picture is fated to evolve in a deterministic way, as the measurement process by the Heisenberg picture observables has stochastic outcomes, exactly as the postulates of quantum mechanics stipulate. So the Heisenberg picture observables are shaped by the stochastic histories of their measurements.

I think this is a very interesting metaphor for our human experience. Instead of thinking of ourselves as changing and adapting as we are buffeted by events in the world, we can think along the lines of the Heisenberg picture and realize that we are actually always the same person inside, and it’s the observational process in the external world that is changing as we grow older. So we can be described by many different labels at different stages of our lives, but those are just snapshots from those moments. For example, Prince and The Artist Formerly Known as Prince were of course exactly the same person who just had different labels from different times. And when we are newborns, all of our future potential for traits, achievements, failures, likes, dislikes, etc. are already incorporated into our being, but the external Heisenberg picture “observables” will evolve (in various stochastic ways) as we age and gradually paint out the arcs of our lives. (BTW, this metaphor is related to this post on filtrations in stochastic processes.)

This is of course just a metaphor and not an actual physical theory, but it’s amusing and thought provoking. For example, maybe this is a way to think about our future potential to learn and to do new things. And maybe this is a way to think about what happens after we die, when our physical selves are no longer, but our memories live on.

It’s also fascinating to explore what the difference is between our memory of a person versus the real person, if we don’t have the opportunity to physically interact with that person (for example, a friend whom you haven’t seen in many years). And then you throw in an AI impersonation of a person (e.g., as in Black Mirror) as the AI gets better and better, and it gets more confusing. The difference probably lies in the possibility, or not, of having a real interaction with that person in the future. So the representation of a person (analogous to the Heisenberg state) is whatever it is, but the observables are different.

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