On 1/28/07, Brent Meeker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I don't think this is the way to look at it. It's true that QM predicts > an uncountably infinite number of branchings, even for an universe > containing only a single unstable particle. But these branchings don't > produce different copies of Stathis. As a big macroscopic object he is > described by a reduced density matrix that has only extremely tiny > off-diagonal terms. So he is a stable entity against these microscopic > quantum events unless they are amplified so as to change his macroscopic > state - as for example if he heard a geiger counter click. The microscopic > events just add a little fuzz to his reduced density matrix - and the same > for all of the classical world.
Although microscopic quantum events don't immediatly produce macroscopic changes, I think the butterfly effect implies that given sufficient time, they certainly do. Consider how brownian motion could effect which sperm results in a pregnancy. Considering this, I think that if you looked at two histories that branched a century ago, you would find two Earths inhabited by entirely different sets of individuals. Even if Stathis's brain itself were never effected directly by quantum events, the fact that he ends up in branchings that produce different sensory input will no doubt produce new distnguishable observer moments. You might be interested in Greg Egan's excellent SF story "Singleton" which > is available online: > > ttp://gregegan.customer.netspace.net.au/MISC/SINGLETON/Singleton.html > > Egan says "People who professed belief in the MWI never seemed to want to > take it seriously, let alone personally." So he wrote a story in which it > is taken personally. > Thanks, that was an interesting read. I find it surprising how many people find MWI so disturbing, perhaps it is the pessimists always assuming the worst is happening. Instead of focusing on the good or bad, I look at the variety it produces. Many worlds leaves no rock unturned and no path untread, it realizes every possibility and to me this is an amazing and beautiful result. Jason --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---