On Thu, Aug 8, 2019 at 4:37 PM 'Brent Meeker' via Everything List < [email protected]> wrote:
> > > On 8/8/2019 2:26 PM, Jason Resch wrote: > > > > On Thu, Aug 8, 2019 at 4:20 PM 'Brent Meeker' via Everything List < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> >> >> On 8/8/2019 2:00 PM, Jason Resch wrote: >> > In QM, it is the difference between "the Schrodinger equation" and >> > "the Schrodinger equation + complex observer-dependent operations >> > (whose limits are yet to be rigorously defined)" >> > - Why complicate the theory because there are branches we can't see or >> > change? >> >> Because the idea is to have a theory that predicts things, not that just >> spins a story. And in fact we observe a quasi-classical world. So a >> theory that just predicts a lot of "branches" is otiose and worthless. >> >> > Is the idea of a past, or of matter beyond the cosmological horizon > otiose? Why or why not? > > > > The past hypothesis is part predictions of current observations (e.g. > light arrives from long ago). > > > I would say the value of a theory is not only to predict things but to > explain things. A theory with a complicated observer-dependent ontology > makes explanation and comprehension far more difficult, and such a theory > is at constant risk of being disproved by advances in experimental or > observational capability. (e.g. the prediction by Guth that the universe > is at least 10^23 times larger than the observable universe, as a > consequence of the flatness of space). > > > Being at risk of being disproved is the mark of a scientific theory. "God > did it." is great at explanation and at no risk of being disproved...just > like "Everything possible happens...but almost all of it where we can't see > it." > > > Indeed, all scientific theories should be testable. But you are forgetting another important trait of scientific theories: one should not add unnecessary assumptions to a theory when a simpler one will do. Jason -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/everything-list/CA%2BBCJUjk6JhxQ%3DxJV6QCk2paqNU_Gmx1tt1Hkp8uWUhEiu8E9Q%40mail.gmail.com.
