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Author
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Topic: Why Parallel Universes?
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coffee_addict
Member (Idle past 497 days) Posts: 3645 From: Indianapolis, IN Joined: 03-29-2004
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Re: Multiple univewrses?
Mike the unwiz writes: To put it in more every-day terms, there has to be a universe where every penny that was ever tossed landed heads, and statistics just doesn't exist.
You are confused. Probability, or statistics, tells us the likelihood or the unlikelihood of an event. It is not the absolute truth. There is nothing to prevent all pennies from landing heads. The multi-verse is confusing to us mortals, just like almost everything in quantum physics. However, just because we mortals can't understand it yet doesn't mean it is not the case.
The Laminator
We are the bog. Resistance is voltage over current.
For goodness's sake, please vote Democrat this November!
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 12 by Mike Holland, posted 08-23-2004 8:28 AM | | Mike Holland has not replied |
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Darwin Storm
Inactive Member
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Re: Multiple univewrses?
The difference is that QM has observable data, with a comprehensive theory which describes the phenomenea very accuratley (though the why is still not there). Parrellel universes theories currently have not testable means of verification or disverification. Consequently, any notion of multiple universes is conjecture. There are several hypothesis that predict them, but currently, there is no evidence to support the existance of such universes. This message has been edited by Darwin Storm, 08-23-2004 09:49 PM
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Primordial Egg
Inactive Member
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Re: Multiple univewrses?
You are confused. Probability, or statistics, tells us the likelihood or the unlikelihood of an event. It is not the absolute truth.
There is nothing to prevent all pennies from landing heads. I don't think Mike's confused here at all - he's just saying that statistical methods would not have been developed if there were not different outcomes (what would be the point?). It reminds me of a riddle I once heard: Q. If you toss a coin 1000 times and it lands heads every time what are the chances of it coming up heads on the 1001th toss?
A. Pretty close to one. The coin is obviously loaded. The multi-verse is confusing to us mortals, just like almost everything in quantum physics. However, just because we mortals can't understand it yet doesn't mean it is not the case. I fully agree with you here - for me its the one satisfying answer to the question of 'why is there something rather than nothing?' Actually, there's everything. PE
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Mike Holland
Member (Idle past 503 days) Posts: 179 From: Sydney, NSW,Auistralia Joined: 08-30-2002
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Re: Multiple universes?
O)K. I admit my gut feels have a dissonance with my logic. As correctly stated, somewhere in an infinite universe all penny-tosses have resulted in heads. And the next toss? Of course it will also land heads (in one of the resulting universes). Also, in an infinite universe, there are an infinity of 'me's sitting at PCs typing this response. I think I will stick with my gut feel. I don't believe it. But thanks for the responses. Mike.
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coffee_addict
Member (Idle past 497 days) Posts: 3645 From: Indianapolis, IN Joined: 03-29-2004
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Re: Multiple univewrses?
I agree with you on the point of lack of data at this time.
DS writes: Parrellel universes theories currently have not testable means of verification or disverification.
Haven't you seen Stargate SG-1? The episode where Daniel Jackson crossed into another "quantum reality" confirms our suspicion of the multiple universes conjecture. 
The Laminator
We are the bog. Resistance is voltage over current.
For goodness's sake, please vote Democrat this November!
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 17 by Darwin Storm, posted 08-23-2004 10:47 PM | | Darwin Storm has not replied |
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coffee_addict
Member (Idle past 497 days) Posts: 3645 From: Indianapolis, IN Joined: 03-29-2004
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Re: Multiple universes?
MH writes: I think I will stick with my gut feel. I don't believe it.
Well, there are a lot of people that don't believe it. Only some of them don't believe it for the right reason, that there's simply no data to support it. You might want to be be careful about that gut feeling of yours. People had the gut feelings about the causes of the bubonic plague for centuries before they found out the real causes. Gut feelings are good in the halls of L.A. high schools, but they're certainly not sufficient in other matters, like getting your next date.
The Laminator
We are the bog. Resistance is voltage over current.
For goodness's sake, please vote Democrat this November!
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Mike Holland
Member (Idle past 503 days) Posts: 179 From: Sydney, NSW,Auistralia Joined: 08-30-2002
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Re: Multiple universes?
Thanks for the tip, Darth, but I am an old codger of 66, happily married for 40 years, so I won't be looking for any dates in the near future.
Hope you enjoy your next date in the majority of universes.
Mike.
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happy_atheist
Member (Idle past 4934 days) Posts: 326 Joined: 08-21-2004
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Message 23 of 24 (136780)
08-25-2004 12:11 PM
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Well i'll agree that there isn't any data (that I know of anyway) supporting parallel universes. It's simply a stab in the dark at explaining strange quantum mechanical phenomena. Is it definately untestable though? I don't know...
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Adminnemooseus
Administrator Posts: 3974 Joined: 09-26-2002
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Message 24 of 24 (136785)
08-25-2004 12:30 PM
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Thread copied to the Why Parallel Universes? thread in the Big Bang and Cosmology forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.
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