Viewpoint: Yes, the "many-worlds" interpretation of quantum mechanics is viable, as it provides the simplest solution to the measurement dilemma inherent in the standard model.

Viewpoint: No, the "many-worlds" interpretation of quantum mechanics is not viable for numerous reasons, including measurement problems and the inability to test it scientifically.

Quantum mechanics is one of the most successful theories of modern physics. Chemists, physicists, materials scientists, molecular biologists, and electrical engineers use the predictions and terminology of the theory to explain and understand numerous phenomena. Looked at closely, however, the theory has certain unsettling features. Particles such as the electron have wavelike properties, while electromagnetic waves behave, at times, like particles. One must abandon the notion that each particle has a definite location at all times. These counter-intuitive aspects of the...