I like this topic. I will think about it a little first.
By the way, is your use of blue and red a metaphor for Obama and
McCain? ;)
Tom
On Nov 7, 10:44 am, "A. Wolf" <a.lup....domain.name.hidden> wrote:
> > But this begs the question "What is EVERYTHING?"
>
> I would say the class of all mathematical models which are not
> self-contradictory constitutes "everything". I'd even go so far as to
> suggest that's exactly what existence is, in a literal sense: a lack
> of mathematical contradiction. All things that are consistent exist
> and all things that exist are consistent.
>
> This is broader than the MW interpretation which imposes additional
> tacit restrictions: that everything which /is constructable/ solely by
> /quantum perturbations/ occurring /since the Big Bang/ must exist.
>
> It also raises the question about whether we can assume there is a
> universe where I wore a red sweater instead of a blue one today. I
> would certainly guess that the probability of this happening is
> nonzero, but I have no way of confirming that there exists a
> particular model containing this state which is non-contradictory.
> Certainly the model couldn't be identical to the current universe I'm
> in, because I don't own a red sweater, and I can't readily envision a
> situation where quantum perturbations would make me wake up early
> enough to go purchase one.
>
> So I suspect that "everything" has lots of odd holes in it, but
> perhaps quantum effects smooth them out so well that we can assume
> nearly any conceivable change to our universe has non-contradictory
> representatives. I'd prefer not to assume that, even if I believe (as
> I do) that worlds which are not constructable from out Big Bang exist.
>
> Certainly there are worlds out there where I'm deluded into thinking
> that I have on a red sweater, though. ;)
>
> Anna
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Received on Fri Nov 07 2008 - 13:07:59 PST