Re: Are we simulated by some massive computer?

From: Stephen Paul King <stephenk1.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 20:16:16 -0400

Dear George and CMR,

    Whooooops! My apologies. But does this cancel out what I wrote?

Stephen
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: CMR
  To: Stephen Paul King
  Cc: everything-list.domain.name.hidden
  Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 6:02 PM
  Subject: Re: Are we simulated by some massive computer?


  I'd love to take credit for George's arguments (he probably knows more than me, after all) but that wouldn't be ethical (and I don't think we want to revisit THAT thread!)

  cheers!

    Dear George,

        Interleaving.
      [CMR]
      It seems to me that if two worlds are indistinguishable from the point of view of an observer, then the two worlds could be switched on the observer - or conversely that the observer could be teleported from one world to the other - without him knowing it.

      [SPK]

          The 3rd person abilty to interchange identical worlds does not necessitate the a priori existence of a multitute of identical worlds from a 1st person point of view, because, as you wrote they could be switched without him (the 1st person) knowing it. So why entertain their existence in the first place? If the existence of such is merely to construct a statistical ensemble, then fine, but bear in mine that such is merely a construct with its own set of assumptions and embelishments.
          Let us also take into account that the kind of teleportation that you bring up here is not physically possible. I do not understand how it continues to be used as a pedagological device.
Received on Wed May 12 2004 - 20:28:16 PDT