George Levy wrote:
>Without our quantum laws, for example, if we lived in a mechanistic
>universe, electrons, unfettered by their >quantum levels would fall into
>their nucleii resulting in the almost immediate annihilation of all matter
>in >the universe and a huge increase in entropy. Even though entropy of the
>universe is continuoulsy >increasing, the universe is still in an
>incredible state of low entropy. In any case, the defense argues, if a >low
>entropy spike is an indicator of criminal activity, then even God, himself,
>is not be immune from >prosecution, since entropy was at its lowest at
>creation.
>
>The defense concludes that nature itself is a huge QS machine that filters
>only those worlds capable of >sustaining consciousness.
The issue of the low entropy of the universe came up a while ago and Tim May
brought up the best argument against seeing it as an anthropic effect--the
anthropic principle would only guarantee the bare minimum downward entropy
spike needed for intelligent beings to exist, it wouldn't begin to explain
why the entire visible universe is at equally low entropy (and the anthropic
argument would also imply that all our memories of a lower-entropy past are
probably false). The same would go for explaining quantum effects like
discrete energy levels...if the electrons fell into their nucleii in some
distant galaxy, it wouldn't hurt us (and even if the shockwave would be
dangerous or something, there'd still be no need to see the *same* discrete
energy levels throughout the universe).
The prosecution rests!
--Jesse
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Received on Mon Oct 07 2002 - 03:11:38 PDT