Re: Why no white talking rabbits?

From: George Levy <glevy.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 2004 17:05:43 -0800

Jesse Mazer wrote:

> Why, out of all possible experiences compatible with my existence, do
> I only observe the ones that don't violate the assumption that the
> laws of physics work the same way in all places and at all times?


There are two kinds of white rabbits: microscopic and macroscopic.

Microscopic white rabbits exist all around us. Particles popping in and
out of the vacuum, particles being two places at the same time and so on.
Microscopic white rabbits obey statistical rules, distributions etc,
which translate into very solid and reproducible macroscopic laws such
as the second law of thermodynamics. Because of these solid macroscopic
laws, macroscopic white rabbits are extremely rare.

The macroscopic laws of physics are the same everywhere because
mathematics (statistics) is the same everywhere.

In the multiworld context one could say that each multiworld branching
is a white rabbit, but these rabbits are too small to notice
classically. Thus, overall the number of worlds not containing
macroscopic white rabbits is much larger than those containing
macroscopic white rabbits. Therefore the transition from one world to
the next is extremely unlikely to display a macroscopic white rabbit.
Ergo: No observable macroscopic white rabbit.

But of course the biggest rabbit is taken for granted. It is right under
our nose and so close that we don't see it.

George Levy
Received on Fri Jan 09 2004 - 20:07:11 PST