Re: consciousness based on information or computation?

From: <GSLevy.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 20:40:40 EST

In a message dated 99-01-29 12:43:50 EST, Hal write:

<< Some versions of the many-worlds model consider the universe to be
 branching at each point into multiple universes. This is harder to
 capture in a static picture. You can do it but it doesn't seem as
 natural. However another way to view this model is to have, instead
 of a single universe which branches into many, many initially identical
 universes which then differentiate themselves. These are equivalent ways
 of looking at the same phenomenon. With the differentiating-universes
 model we again have a simple flow of time within each universe and a very
 simple representation of processes in that universe as static structures.
>>

Hal describes the popular version of the MWI according to which the whole
universe branching for every quantum event taking place. Needless to say, this
interpretation invokes a highly nonlocal process.

My views of MWI (and I am probably not the first one to think that way) is
that locality can be restored by assuming that the universe is already split
in a very large number of dimensions and it is WE, the observers, who split as
the wave function propagates through this superspace. Each point of the wave
function provides a three dimensional "perspective" of this superspace simply
because the (everyday) laws of physics are restricted to operate in 3D. I am
curious to know what the common view of the MWI is: 1) either the whole
universe splitting for every quantum event, 2) or the wave function
propagating (and splitting) in a very large dimensional superuniverse.

George Levy
Received on Fri Jan 29 1999 - 17:43:42 PST