Gravity vs. Superposition: Why the World Isn't Blurred ⚡ экспресс
Nonlocal gravitational self-energy, arising within the T-duality framework of string theory, is introduced into the Schrödinger–Newton equation. In such a model, spacetime possesses inherent nonlocality, and the standard linear superposition principle becomes an approximation valid only in the absence of gravity. It is demonstrated that when gravity is taken into account, superpositions inevitably lose stability, and wave function collapse emerges from a fundamental tension between the equivalence principle and quantum superposition on a semiclassical background. It is shown that wave functions in inertial and freely falling frames differ by a gravitationally induced phase shift containing linear and cubic time-dependent contributions, as well as a constant global term. This leads to a spontaneous collapse with a characteristic time inversely proportional to the system's mass, independent of the specific model. The results outline a possible mechanism for the transition from quantum to classical description that does not require introducing an external observer.
In the quantum world, an object can be in several places at once. Yet in everyday life we see things strictly in their places. The reason is gravity. A massive star under its own weight inevitably collapses into a black hole or a neutron star, but it can't be both at the same time. Similarly, a heavy body in quantum superposition loses its fuzziness: its own gravity makes a dual state impossible.
An equation combining the ideas of Schrödinger and Newton showed that spacetime curvature conflicts with superposition. The probability wave collapses, and the collapse time is inversely proportional to mass—heavy systems acquire definiteness almost instantly.
A surprising twist: superposition generates two conflicting versions of spacetime geometry, and this incompatibility triggers an immediate choice. Even in the falling elevator of Einstein's thought experiment, weightlessness doesn't help—the accumulated mismatch inevitably leads to the same outcome. Thus gravity turns the fuzzy quantum world into a stable reality.
🎯 If the Moon could exist in quantum superposition, its own gravity would collapse the uncertainty in billionths of a second.