On 24/06/2016 3:58 am, Bruno Marchal wrote:
On 23 Jun 2016, at 08:08, Brent Meeker wrote:
But this would include many worlds besides this one with vastly
different physics.
Come Brent, the total beauty of computationalism is that there is only
one physics (well, actually three, but that is not relevant here: the
physics of hell and heaven are slightly different from the physics on
earth).
In that case computationalism is in conflict with several current
physical theories. The theory of eternal inflation, for example, would
predict an infinity of physical worlds, each with its own fundamental
constants and possibly different physical laws. In fact, this is a
currently popular way to explain why the natural constants have their
observed values: all values are realized in some world or another, and
anthropic arguments are used to explain why we are in a world that is
consistent with our existence. (Another form of FPI perhaps, except that
this theory requires that there are worlds in which life, and
consciousness, are not possible. It does not seem that computationalism
would allow the existence of such worlds.)
Physics is a sum on all worlds.
What do you mean by "all worlds" here? All possible worlds? Or only all
worlds consistent with our existence?
Reality is the sum of all fictions. Physics is unique and entirely
determined by the theology of the universal machine. The pther worlds
are differe,t only on accidental facts, like opening the door and
seeing Moscow, or looking at the spin state of the electron and seeing
it up.
If we restrict quantum mechanics only to the late phases of the
universe, that understanding of other worlds might be equivalent to the
Everettian many worlds interpretation. But if the Big Bang is itself
seen as a quantum event, then all possible Big Bangs are necessarily in
superposition, and most of these alternative worlds will have different
physics from that of the world we inhabit. So if the only physics you
can derive is unique, your account of FPI is not completely equivalent
to Everettian quantum mechanics.
Bruce
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