I love the Anthropic Principle. I find it fun that it
does get lots of criticism – but always emotional.
How could the first self-replicating molecule form?
What if the smallest possible chain of amino acids that can replicate turns out
to be 1000 base-pairs long? That would mean the chances of something like that
happening would be at least 4 ^ 1000.
In the Anthropic Multiverse, it doesn’t matter
how long the shortest self-replicating molecule is. As long as it is possible,
there’s a 100% chance that it exists in one of the branches of the multiverse
tree – and there we are!
If you don’t like that argument, then you’ll
hate these more:
(1) Consciousness is that
which “sees” only one universe. A particle is not conscious.
Therefore it sees all universes simultaneously. A Zen Master becomes “one”
with the universe by meditation. The “enlightenment” is the least
conscious state that one can be in without actually being unconscious. He’s
trying to experience what it would be like to be a rock. It might explain “near
death” experiences as well as suicide bombers.
(2) The universe must
exist. Proof: If it didn’t, we wouldn’t be here to argue. Because we
are here, “nothing” is impossible. Daddy, why does the universe
exist? Because, it’s impossible for it not to exist!
(3) You’ll never
experience your own death. Others will experience your death, but not you.
Schrodinger’s Cat never dies from its own experience. At every tick of your
life’s clock, there is a chance that you will die and non-zero chance
that you won’t. Therefore, according to your own experience, you will life
forever. The chance of us celebrating Lazarus 2000th birthday is ridiculously small
but still positive. This explains why we have no record of anyone that old. But
the chance that you will experience your next birthday, no matter how old you
are, is 100%
(4) If you attempt to
commit suicide by jumping off a cliff, there’s always a small chance you
will survive (botch it up, chicken out, or miracles), and that is the universe
you will be conscious in. It doesn’t mean you will not be crippled for
many years to come. I do not have the bravery (nor the philosophy) to step in the
stream of a machine gun firing, but I suspect that if I do, the gun will jam
immediately. All soldiers return alive and well from war, just in different
universes.
(5) Hugh Everett (who
invented the “many world” theory) has a daughter named
“One nation under God”. When you consider all
the butterfly effects throughout history and just how improbable your existence
is, you realize that everyone who is alive is astronomically lucky, regardless
of any outsider’s pity. You might consider yourself luckier than someone
born in a communist regime, but that’s because you only see the relative
luck and ignore the common luck you both share. You both have 10e1000000…
whatever chance of existing plus you alone have an additional 1 in 30
additional chance of being fortunate to live in
I’d rather be tortured for 100 years than commit
suicide now. Lucky, I have a third choice.
Rob
From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Steve Smith
Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009
1:52 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] particles
have free will
But even with the (a?) multiverse theory, doesn't one have to (get to?) contemplate just how
they came to be a singular
identity/experiencer in a multitude of possibilities? I find variations on multiverse cosmology
quite compelling from a theoretical/symmetric/completeness point of view.
In particular I find Lee Smolin's
variations quite compelling at many levels. But if anything, it leaves me wondering (still, yet more, not
less) about the experience of identity and free will that I have. The closest thing I have to
offer is a variation of the Anthropic
Principle wherein the parts of the multi-verse continuum where
"object-like-phenomena" exist, and where the
"object-like-patterns" have complex enough organization to include
"self-organization" and "emergent organization", and where
within those forms of organization there is sufficient (qualitatively as well
as quantitatively?) complexity to support patterns which are in some sense
recursive (patterns that have sub-patterns of themselves within them?).
In these "regions" of the "multiverse continuum", there are
recursive patterns which have the essential properties which I am calling
self-awareness. Other regions of the multiverse continuum don't
have these patterns so there is no "pattern" akin to an "I" contemplating "itself".
It is a bit resonant with my experience the day in 3rd grade when I quit
mumbling the words "one nation under god" during our daily
"prayer" (pledge of allegience). The trivial amount of social
studies I'd been taught (that the Soviet Union was a *bad* form of government
and way of life, but the *people* were just like us) left me to wonder how *I*
got so lucky to be born an Amerikun (impose image of Captain America Character)
while so many were so unlucky as to have been born Pinko Commie Losers (insert
a different image of your choice, preferably degrading and humiliating and easy
to dismiss).
I think I need another drink. Or a
nap. Or .... maybe I should go back to my studies of Fredkin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Fredkin)
Free the Particles! Enslave the Waves!
- Steve
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