Re: Quantum accident survivor

From: Saibal Mitra <smitra.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 17:56:52 +0100

There have been many replies to this. I would say that you wouldn't expect
to survive such accidents.

Assume that we are sampled from a probability distribution over a set of
possible states. E.g. in eternal inflation theories all possible quantum
states the observable universe can be in are all realized, so all possible
situations you can be in, do occur with some finite probability. In such
theories you ''always'' exist.

But this doesn't mean that if you are Mohammed Atta saying your prayer just
before impact with the WTC, your next experience is that the plane has
tunneled through the WTC without doing any harm. This is because there are
many more Mohammed Attas in the universe that do not have this experience.
So, you would ''survive'', but in a different branch with memory loss plus
some aditional ''false'' memories. In that branch you wouldn't have been in
that plane to begin with.

You should think of yourself at any time as if you were chosen by a random
generator sampled from a fixed probability distribution over the set of all
possible states you can be in. The state that corresponds to you have
experienced flying through the WTC is assigned an extremely small
probability.

How does this square with the normal experience of continuity through time?
Well, every ''observer moment'' as chosen by the random generator has a
memory of past experiences. So, if you go to bed now and wake up the next
morning, you have the feeling of continuity, but this is only because the
person waking up has the memory of going to bed.

You could just as well say that the person going to bed survives in any one
of the possible states he can be in. The state that happens to have the
memory of going to bed is just one of these possible states. That particular
state has the illusion of being the continuation of the first state.




---- Oorspronkelijk bericht -----
Van: "David Kwinter" <david.domain.name.hidden>
Aan: <everything-list.domain.name.hidden>
Verzonden: Friday, October 31, 2003 02:58 AM
Onderwerp: Quantum accident survivor


> Another quickie:
>
> Assume I survive a car/plane crash which we assume could have many
> different quantum outcomes including me (dead || alive)
>
> Since I was the same person (entire life history) up until the
> crash/quantum 'branch' - then can't I assume that since there was at
> least one outcome where I survived, that TO ME I will always survive
> other such life/death branches?
>
> Furthermore if I witness a crash where someone dies can I assume that
> the victim will survive in their own "world" so far as at least one
> quantum branch of survivability seems possible?
>
>
> David Kwinter
>
>
Received on Sat Nov 01 2003 - 12:08:44 PST