Parallel universes exist - study
 

Do they? I post this and hope to hear from some physicists on this forum.

The role of attention and observation on actual state (vs. probability distributions) is certainly intriguing:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=...cle=1&cat=0

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-everett/#6

See also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_effect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_principle

Re: Parallel universes exist - study
 

There was no reference to the original paper in the link you provided, so I am a bit cautious about commenting.

If their theory is just an explanation without any predictions, then it is useless. It won’t be any better than the current ‘trick’ that we are using now, i.e. adding the observation patch to quantum mechanical formalism. If they can propose an experiment that will allow to discriminate between ‘the universes’ or an experiment that can’t be explained by the current formalism, then it could lead to a revolution.

In general I am skeptical, when mathematicians propose physical theories.

Re: Parallel universes exist - interesting video by the BBC
 

Its playing on my comcast Science Channel on demand but you can also watch it on Google video(link below). I highly recommend it to all the readers in this forum.

BBC special on Parallel Universes.

These parallel universes are like gods for atheist. Have a problem you can't explain. No problem - just create a parallel universe that explains it. Humans will always need to have faith in something inorder to explain the workings of the universe.

Stu

Re: Parallel universes exist - study
 

I must confess that I never really liked the many worlds interpretation of quantum theory -- it has always seemed very extravagant to me, seeming to introduce an infinity of parallel realities "just for the fun of it" (i.e. the math lets you interpret it that way if you want to, but it doesn't seem to care if you do it that way or not). There are quite a few physicists that typically take this point of view -- why invoke an infinite number of parallel universes if you don't have to?

The interesting thing, though, is that in my own research I ended up building a formalism (for generally covariant quantum theory) that, once complete, simultaneously has a realist interpretation and a branching structure. I certainly wasn't looking for this kind of thing -- I was mainly just trying to build something that was completely general and reproduced known physics in the known limit. But the most straightforward interpretation looks suspiciously many worldsish -- people have, in fact, commented to me that "you are saying there is physical meaning to all the branches ... you seem to get back to a many worlds version."

So I'm now in a strange position of being forced to take this interpretation somewhat more seriously than I have in the past. I'd be perfectly happy if I could come up with an interpretation of my own formalism that gets rid of the parallel worlds, but I'm not sure that I can!

Re: Parallel universes exist - study
 

[ QUOTE ]
I must confess that I never really liked the many worlds interpretation of quantum theory -- it has always seemed very extravagant to me, seeming to introduce an infinity of parallel realities "just for the fun of it" (i.e. the math lets you interpret it that way if you want to, but it doesn't seem to care if you do it that way or not). There are quite a few physicists that typically take this point of view -- why invoke an infinite number of parallel universes if you don't have to?

The interesting thing, though, is that in my own research I ended up building a formalism (for generally covariant quantum theory) that, once complete, simultaneously has a realist interpretation and a branching structure. I certainly wasn't looking for this kind of thing -- I was mainly just trying to build something that was completely general and reproduced known physics in the known limit. But the most straightforward interpretation looks suspiciously many worldsish -- people have, in fact, commented to me that "you are saying there is physical meaning to all the branches ... you seem to get back to a many worlds version."

So I'm now in a strange position of being forced to take this interpretation somewhat more seriously than I have in the past. I'd be perfectly happy if I could come up with an interpretation of my own formalism that gets rid of the parallel worlds, but I'm not sure that I can!

[/ QUOTE ]

Holy [censored], that's fascinating!!! Updates when you get them please!..

Re: Parallel universes exist - study
 

[ QUOTE ]
I must confess that I never really liked the many worlds interpretation of quantum theory -- it has always seemed very extravagant to me, seeming to introduce an infinity of parallel realities "just for the fun of it" (i.e. the math lets you interpret it that way if you want to, but it doesn't seem to care if you do it that way or not). There are quite a few physicists that typically take this point of view -- why invoke an infinite number of parallel universes if you don't have to?

[/ QUOTE ]

And I can see why this interpretation doesn't sit well. It's too open-ended, and a complete result would never occur. Perhaps a more defined version would occur when you realize there aren't an infinite number of worlds or universes...

But that each iteration opens new branches and casual loops which in turn become part of the overall fabric of a multiverse.

So in essence it would be a situation in where there is infinite potential for growth and branching and multi-level interactions between smaller sets of worlds.

So it isn't a question of: "Hey, we've got infinite worlds and they all connect at some point because it's infinite."

A deeper look into infinity reveals a structural complexity that seems to abide by its own physical and conceptual rules. Infinite potential is not infinity, just a bracketed finity that keeps expanding.

[ QUOTE ]
The interesting thing, though, is that in my own research I ended up building a formalism (for generally covariant quantum theory) that, once complete, simultaneously has a realist interpretation and a branching structure. I certainly wasn't looking for this kind of thing -- I was mainly just trying to build something that was completely general and reproduced known physics in the known limit. But the most straightforward interpretation looks suspiciously many worldsish -- people have, in fact, commented to me that "you are saying there is physical meaning to all the branches ... you seem to get back to a many worlds version."

[/ QUOTE ]

Meaning is not potentiality. There aren't a infinite number of apples (yet, but there can be), but if Darwin sits under a tree long enough, he will get hit by apples quite frequently across a infinitely long span of time. It won't be the same apple, even if every data point in the scenario makes this the identical apple, removing the t factor from the scenario.

[ QUOTE ]
So I'm now in a strange position of being forced to take this interpretation somewhat more seriously than I have in the past. I'd be perfectly happy if I could come up with an interpretation of my own formalism that gets rid of the parallel worlds, but I'm not sure that I can!

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not easy to do, is it? It's a slippery concept to try to pin down in formal logic, especially if you're trying to re-define how people think of the universe. Gave it a try above, if only because it fits in with what I've been thinking about with regards to temporal theory and infinite/finite relationships in logic. Hopefully someone can glean something out of it.

Re: Parallel universes exist - interesting video by the BBC
 

[ QUOTE ]
Its playing on my comcast Science Channel on demand but you can also watch it on Google video(link below). I highly recommend it to all the readers in this forum.

BBC special on Parallel Universes.

These parallel universes are like gods for atheist. Have a problem you can't explain. No problem - just create a parallel universe that explains it. Humans will always need to have faith in something inorder to explain the workings of the universe.

Stu

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL. Yes, parallel universes are just like God to an atheist.

Re: Parallel universes exist - interesting video by the BBC
 

Dear parellel universes,
Forgive me my infinite amount of sins and bad thoughts. I'd like to thank you for the infinite amount of good stuff that happened to me today. I'd like to say thanks in advance about me going to heaven and also sod of you ungrateful [ ] for sending me to hell.

Amen

No... bad stu, bad.
 

[ QUOTE ]
These parallel universes are like gods for atheist. Have a problem you can't explain. No problem - just create a parallel universe that explains it. Humans will always need to have faith in something inorder to explain the workings of the universe.

[/ QUOTE ]

Except that the idea of parallel universes, whether it turns out to be true or not, was derived from data and deduction... and overall general use of the scientific method.

Whereas God was derived from "hmmm I have no [censored] clue, I guess it's God."

Re: Parallel universes exist - study
 

There's also the philosophical. Stuff like Nozicks theory of knowledge and the resurrection of analytical philosophy by Lewis etc. make use of the concepts of many worlds. These approaches seem to me to capture the essense of what's going on when we talk of meaning and knowledge etc but maybe it doesn't require these other worlds to actually exist.

David Lewis argues that there's good reason to believe they do have actual existence. I have his book but never manages to struggle past the beginning. Anyone?

chez