Time is an illusion

[Captain Blackout]

So there's this pervasive theory in quantum physics, the "Many World Theory" if I have my title right. Basically it says that at every moment there's a 'quantum decision' to be made the universe splits. I flip a coin. It doesn't come down heads or tails. It comes down head in one universe and tails in the other.

I hate this theory. It has almost as many holes as Descartes meditations, not the least of which being where did the energy for a second universe come from? I have a counter-proposal.

All possibilities already exist. Reality is a 'web' of possibilities. All possible tomorrows that can come from today and all possible pasts that could lead to today exist simultaneously. A being of sufficient power could visit each static universe by following the 'quantum decisions' that link each universe.

We are not quite such beings. We only experience those universes that our abilities allow us to. Time does not flow, but rather, we move from moment to moment as we choose (or have it chosen for us) which reality to experience. Those moments are not moments of time as we perceive them but rather already existent realities we come into.

DISCLAIMER: This does NOT support quantum immortality so do NOT kill yourself trying to prove me or yourself right or wrong.

 

[Major_Sam]

I was actually thinking about this just yesterday. But the Doctor always sorts my mind out:

People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect... but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... timey-wimey... stuff. - The Doctor

 

[Mr_spamamam]

Interesting, but as you pointed out in your criticism of the Many worlds theory, if there is a question over the power source of a second universe, then where is the energy to power a possibly infinite number of different possible events going to come from?

 

[Smudge91]

you really like the theories today, huh?
I'm quite OCD with time (i hate being late and not having a watch with me or knowing the time) so no one can tell me that time is an illusion, its irrational but i'm happy in my world.

 

[walls of cetepedes]

Spoiler

Nobody would kill themselves trying to prove you right or wrong because as far as we know, you're just some guy on a forum.
No offense, but your theories don't hold much water until your third Nobel Prize.

Max speaks the truth.

 

[Ophiuchus]

People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect... but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... timey-wimey... stuff. - The Doctor

This. To argue with the wisdom of The Doctor would be foolish.

I like the many worlds theory, but further discussion is prevented by the fact that I've just woken up and haven't had a cup of tea yet.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

Yes, I expected this to be about Douglas Adams.

I like the multiverse/many worlds theories but can't say that I have a very good understanding of them.

 

[Wadders]

I'm sorry, but you pretty much lost me the first time you used the word "quantum".

My brain isn't geared towards this kind of stuff. I prefer to concern myself with what is tangible, what I can actually see, than to theorise about stuff that will never affect me or anyone else.

On the other hand, skipping between universes does sound fun. If a tad pointless

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Time is actually an ocean according to a certain member of the Persian royal family. And on this one, I have to aggree with him, just because it sounds cool.

 

[nova18]

The reason I hate the theory is because there is an infinite amount of possibilities.
There is a universe where I wear a hat, there is a universe where I have a cat, there is a universe where I am a sheep and a universe where I dont sleep.

Now repeat that for every thing that could ever possible exist and for every possible person that exists or could exist (the child that wasn't born in one universe was a split condom in a tangent universe after all).

Its just TOO staggering to think about, which is precisely why I dont think about it

 

[Deity1986]

I hate that theory as well. It just seems lazy.
I'm not even sure where it comes from. I mean I thought it came from the fact that you're talking about particles travelling at a fraction of the speed of light, couple that with wave-particle duality and you get a system that changes state rapidly. Therefore you can never say what state a system is in except at the very instant you measure it.

Then someone said that if there are two states it can be in then, when you measure it, the universe splits in two to accommodate the two possible outcomes. This is bullshit (imho).

 

[Captain Blackout]

Nobody would kill themselves trying to prove you right or wrong because as far as we know, you're just some guy on a forum.
No offense, but your theories don't hold much water until your third Nobel Prize.

Apparently you missed the "quantum immortality" thread. My theories may not hold water with you, but there are nutjobs here who will believe any weird thing they're told. More importantly, I wanted to head off the first nutjob that was going to read this and drag the stupid 'quantum immortality' theory out for discussion.

Interesting, but as you pointed out in your criticism of the Many worlds theory, if there is a question over the power source of a second universe, then where is the energy to power a possibly infinite number of different possible events going to come from?

Right, this outta be fun. The "Many Worlds" theory holds that each new universe is created at the moment of decision. My "All Worlds" theory holds that each universe isn't new, they are all already there. The energy existed prior to the moment of decision. More precisely, the term "moment" is incorrect, misunderstood, or misused. What we perceive as different moments aren't so much linear time but rather a web of possibilities that already exist. We already have a reality we experience (or you wouldn't be reading this.) Whatever fueled this moment fueled all the others at once.

 

[H.R.Shovenstuff]

Already been thought of. Also, have you read Anathem Captain Blackout?

 

[Captain Blackout]

Already been thought of. Also, have you read Anathem Captain Blackout?

I'm both pissed and glad. Pissed someone beat me to it, glad someone beat me to it because if I'm the first, the rest of the world are more retarded than I thought.

Nope, haven't read Anathem. I just now looked it up, and it may end up on my reading list (I'm supposed to read "bio of a space tyrant" next, so it may be a little while)

 

[mattman106]

I think I get where you are coming from and I actually think it makes a lot of sense. I never though of the 'where does the energy come from' flaw in the Many Worlds Theory; your idea answers that quite well.

H.R.Shovenstuff do you know who though of this or what they called the theory as I'd be quite interested in reading about it.

 

[historybuff]

I'll trust whatever Doctor Who tells me.

Spoiler

 

[Supraliminal]

This kind of theories are the best. They don't make sense and they don't need to.
Human brain just isn't capable of sorting huge ammounts of posibilities or calculations at the same time.

All we need to understand is one thing: the universe isn't only how we see it is.
It can be anything. Literally anything.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

So there's this pervasive theory in quantum physics, the "Many World Theory" if I have my title right. Basically it says that at every moment there's a 'quantum decision' to be made the universe splits. I flip a coin. It doesn't come down heads or tails. It comes down head in one universe and tails in the other.

I hate this theory. It has almost as many holes as Descartes meditations, not the least of which being where did the energy for a second universe come from?

Where did the energy come from? Well the same problem exists when you think about the Big Bang. My prefered solution to this problem is that you don't need any energy. There are many physicists who think that the total energy in the universe is zero; all "Positive" forces, like kenetic energy, are cancelled out by the "Negative" forces, such as gravity and the Strong force. Particles of Matter and Anti-matter are being created all the time out of nothing because they cancel each other out so the total energy in the system remains the same. It's like cashing a check for $100 the same time you buy Guitar Hero the money is moved about, but your bank balance remains the same (actually that's a bad analogy just think of it as 1 + -1=0). Since all the forces cancel out there needn't be any energy to kick it off. If the "Many worlds" hypothesis is true then extra energy isn't required.

It sounds confusing, but the Physics works out. The underlying assumption is the overall nutral energy state of the universe. We don't have the data to say Yay or Nay on this question yet, but it is a possibility, and it would answer a lot of questions.

 

[Arrers]

Wait this is beyond my knowlege, but do you mean that rather than paralel universes forming from every potential desicion as we make them, all of them already exist and our consiousness justs move along them with each choice?