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arXiv · 2504.03835

The firewall paradox is Wigner's friend paradox

Ladina Hausmann·Renato Renner
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Abstract

The firewall paradox, a puzzle in black hole physics, depends on an implicit assumption: a rule that allows the infalling and the outside observer to combine their perspectives. However, a recent extension of the Wigner's friend paradox shows that such a combination rule conflicts with quantum theory $\unicode{x2013}$ without involving gravity. This challenges the usual conclusion of the firewall paradox, that standard quantum gravity assumptions are incompatible. More generally, black hole puzzles and Wigner's friend puzzles are closely related by a correspondence. This suggests that the firewall paradox may be a symptom of the same fundamental issue that leads to the extended Wigner's friend paradox.

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Ladina Hausmann, Renato Renner. 2025-04-04. The firewall paradox is Wigner's friend paradox. https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.03835

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