Re: Q Wars Episode 10^9: the Phantom Measure

From: <GSLevy.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 21:16:17 EDT

In a message dated 99-05-31 11:42:54 EDT, marchal.domain.name.hidden writes:

<< I still
 cannot figure out why should "my" measure decrease with "time".
 At least with comp, it seems to me that the measure can only grow,
 for I can have only a countable set of past histories, and (even "without
 immortality") "I" have a uncountable set of futur "histories" >>

I suspect that the opinion of a decreasing measure is due to the impression
that entropic effect will generate many more worlds that are inauspicious to
life than worlds that are. In other words, random quantum effects will, on
the average, increase the amount of disorder. Here I am putting words (ideas)
into people mouths (head). However, I think that this opinion that measure
has a tendency to decrease is erroneous for the following two reasons.

1) While it is possible that the *now* branches into the future and into
mostly inauspicious worlds, it is also possible that the *now* is reached
from several past worlds, most of which would be inauspicious. Perfect
symmetry between the future and the past hints to an equal number of
branching into the future and *rejoining* from the past. New conscious
identities could arise from inauspicious worlds as a counterbalance to the
loss of identities to those worlds. The MW is not like a giant tree but more
like a giant net. This view complicates the task of of tracking identity. Not
only we have to explain how identity multiplies in the branching process but
we must also explain how several identities merge in the rejoining process.
Personally, I see no problem with the MW=net since I view the perception of
identity as the *limited* perception of the self from a SINGLE POINT of the
MW net, the *here and now*.

2) The second reason is that if we conceive of both the MW and the measure as
uncountable infinite quantities, then the whole idea of measure "decreases"
must be qualified. Any finite trimming in the branching process(say due to
suicide) will be insufficient to make any dent in the size of the measure and
consciousness will continue. To really affect the measure, the suicide would
have to be done with an infinitely reliable machine, capable of operation
throughout all branches stemming from the *now*. Such a machine, I believe
would be impossible to build even in principle (for the reason that the MW is
big enough to include worlds that do not include the machine). The big
question is what kind of infinite are the MW and the measure of the self. Are
they countable or uncountable? How can the nitty gritty of physical science
(i.e., Heisenberg constant = h) bridge to the philosophical vagueness of the
MW (i.e Heisenberg constant = anything).

George Levy

PS. Bruno, I started reading your thesis. It is impressive. My knowledge of
French is definitely an advantage in understanding it.
Received on Mon May 31 1999 - 18:18:23 PDT