Many worlds and parallel universes

Many worlds and parallel universes

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Discussion

Dr Jekyll

Original Poster:

23,820 posts

268 months

Friday 14th April 2017
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Is this still a respectable if minority interpretation of quantum effects? Or is it discredited totally?

I do rather like the idea that somewhere in a parallel universe I'm driving my XJ13 along a derestricted motorway to my job as a TSR2 pilot.

boxst

3,801 posts

152 months

Friday 14th April 2017
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The Eels leads singers Father: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Everett_III

He has an interesting take on it.

Simpo Two

87,089 posts

272 months

Friday 14th April 2017
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Dr Jekyll said:
Is this still a respectable if minority interpretation of quantum effects? Or is it discredited totally?

I do rather like the idea that somewhere in a parallel universe I'm driving my XJ13 along a derestricted motorway to my job as a TSR2 pilot.
If infinity was really infinity then eventually you'd encounter exactly that. And then a bit further along, the same but one of the trees is different.... and so on...

Dr Jekyll

Original Poster:

23,820 posts

268 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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Simpo Two said:
If infinity was really infinity then eventually you'd encounter exactly that. And then a bit further along, the same but one of the trees is different.... and so on...
Expect that wouldn't quite be me just someone identical to me. What intrigues me is the thought that what might have happened if I'd done something different in 1967 is being played out somewhere.

Infinity is odd anyway. Not only does everything, however unlikely, happen somewhere. It happens an infinite number of times. But still far less often than more likely things.

kitz

328 posts

184 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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See ...To infinity and beyond ....BBC Horizon on iplayer
A mind blowing program.

Simpo Two

87,089 posts

272 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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Dr Jekyll said:
Infinity is odd anyway. Not only does everything, however unlikely, happen somewhere. It happens an infinite number of times. But still far less often than more likely things.
You could argue that if infinity is infinite then by definition every concievable variant is not only likely but certain!

Dr Jekyll

Original Poster:

23,820 posts

268 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
You could argue that if infinity is infinite then by definition every concievable variant is not only likely but certain!
Exactly, so what do we mean by likely?

ATG

21,369 posts

279 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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Dr Jekyll said:
Simpo Two said:
You could argue that if infinity is infinite then by definition every concievable variant is not only likely but certain!
Exactly, so what do we mean by likely?
"Likely" is a relative term. "A is more likely than B" unambiguously means that we expect to see A happen more frequently than B.

Dr Jekyll

Original Poster:

23,820 posts

268 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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ATG said:
Dr Jekyll said:
Simpo Two said:
You could argue that if infinity is infinite then by definition every concievable variant is not only likely but certain!
Exactly, so what do we mean by likely?
"Likely" is a relative term. "A is more likely than B" unambiguously means that we expect to see A happen more frequently than B.
....while in an infinite universe everything is certain to happen an infinite number of times.


It's some infinite numbers being higher than others that I have a problem with.

ATG

21,369 posts

279 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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Dr Jekyll said:
....while in an infinite universe everything is certain to happen an infinite number of times.


It's some infinite numbers being higher than others that I have a problem with.
Think of any finite subset of the infinite thing. However large you make the subset, the relative frequency of occurrence of the events remains constant. You can make the subset arbitrarily large and that constant doesn't change.

Toltec

7,167 posts

230 months

Saturday 15th April 2017
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Dr Jekyll said:
Is this still a respectable if minority interpretation of quantum effects? Or is it discredited totally?

I do rather like the idea that somewhere in a parallel universe I'm driving my XJ13 along a derestricted motorway to my job as a TSR2 pilot.
Unfortunately that also means that somewhere you are driving your XJ13 along a derestricted motorway to your job as an estate agent.

Dr Jekyll

Original Poster:

23,820 posts

268 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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Toltec said:
Dr Jekyll said:
Is this still a respectable if minority interpretation of quantum effects? Or is it discredited totally?

I do rather like the idea that somewhere in a parallel universe I'm driving my XJ13 along a derestricted motorway to my job as a TSR2 pilot.
Unfortunately that also means that somewhere you are driving your XJ13 along a derestricted motorway to your job as an estate agent.
You have a point there.

Simpo Two

87,089 posts

272 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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ATG said:
Dr Jekyll said:
Simpo Two said:
You could argue that if infinity is infinite then by definition every concievable variant is not only likely but certain!
Exactly, so what do we mean by likely?
"Likely" is a relative term. "A is more likely than B" unambiguously means that we expect to see A happen more frequently than B.
Reading this back, I view 'likely' and 'certain' are mutually exclusive. 'Likely' has a probability attached (ie it may or may not happen), whilst 'certain' is, well, certain! (or P1.0 as I think we used to express it).

I might suggest that infinity removes probablility. In fact I might publish that and claim a Nobel Prize.

AllTorque

2,646 posts

276 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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Simpo Two said:
Reading this back, I view 'likely' and 'certain' are mutually exclusive. 'Likely' has a probability attached (ie it may or may not happen), whilst 'certain' is, well, certain! (or P1.0 as I think we used to express it).

I might suggest that infinity removes probablility. In fact I might publish that and claim a Nobel Prize.
The distributions would be different though. If I roll two dice an infinite number of times and plot the sum against the number of rolls, there'll be many more 7's and 8's then 2's and 12's. The question is though, what happens when the dice has infinite sides? biggrin

dickymint

25,854 posts

265 months

Monday 17th April 2017
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Simpo Two said:
I might suggest that infinity removes probablility. In fact I might publish that and claim a Nobel Prize.
You already have nuts

Moonhawk

10,730 posts

226 months

Monday 17th April 2017
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Simpo Two said:
You could argue that if infinity is infinite then by definition every concievable variant is not only likely but certain!
And also certain to occur an infinite number of times.

anonymous-user

61 months

Monday 17th April 2017
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kitz said:
See ...To infinity and beyond ....BBC Horizon on iplayer
A mind blowing program.
Only the bbc could make infinity that boring!

dickymint

25,854 posts

265 months

Monday 17th April 2017
quotequote all
hucumber said:
kitz said:
See ...To infinity and beyond ....BBC Horizon on iplayer
A mind blowing program.
Only the bbc could make infinity that boring!
I bet they blamed Climate Change laugh

AshVX220

5,933 posts

197 months

Monday 17th April 2017
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Does infinity have to abide by the rules of physics as we understand them? So, for example in one of these universes, is there someone (We'll call him Han Solo) flying a star ship that is more than capable of travelling faster than light?

If there are infinite possibilities, then the physical universe as we understand it must have rules that can be broken.

Now, for a forum predominantly made up of agnostics or atheists (as I am one too), in one of these universes there actually is a God, that created that universe (possibly only 6000 years ago).

There's a Universe where Rick grimes is spending his days killing Zombies, or where Jon Snow knows nothing!

eharding

14,148 posts

291 months

Monday 17th April 2017
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AshVX220 said:
Does infinity have to abide by the rules of physics as we understand them? So, for example in one of these universes, is there someone (We'll call him Han Solo) flying a star ship that is more than capable of travelling faster than light?

If there are infinite possibilities, then the physical universe as we understand it must have rules that can be broken.

Now, for a forum predominantly made up of agnostics or atheists (as I am one too), in one of these universes there actually is a God, that created that universe (possibly only 6000 years ago).

There's a Universe where Rick grimes is spending his days killing Zombies, or where Jon Snow knows nothing!
Just reflect on the fact that there is at least one Universe where you are Diane Abbott....and in all possible Universes, there is a techiedave cyber-perving in pursuit of you.

Then just be very, very thankful that this isn't that Universe. Yet.