The Dying Man Parallel Universe Problem

By well-wisher

Sun, 24 May 2015
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3 comments
 

If, whenever an event occurs in this universe, a parallel universe comes into existence where the opposite occurs then:

Say that, in this universe I die.

Then, according to parallel universe theory, another universe would come into existence where I don’t die.

But then say that, in that universe I die a second later.

Then yet another universe would have to come into existence where I don’t die.

But then in that universe I die a second later.

Yet again, another parallel universe has to come into existence where I live a bit longer and don’t die.

And so on and so forth for eternity.

 

 

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Comments

Submitted by haze on

hi wellwisher,

you misunderstand the theory - where did you get the idea that the 'opposite' of an event occurs in a parallel universe?

By 'event' physicists mean a quantum event - the way particles behave at the quantum level. Such as discovering the exact location of an electron - in order to explain experiments that prove that an electron can exist in more than one location at a time (see double slit experiment) the parallel-universe theory was formulated to account for all possible locations of the electron - each location corresponding to a different parallel universe. Of course, this means that billions of parallel universes are generated every second.

So, unless your death was triggered by a quantum event (see Schrodingers cat) it shouldn't make much difference. And, given the odds, you are surely already dead on at least some of the billions of parallel universes created since your birth. And plenty from before your birth where you will never exist at all. Is that an idea for a story?

Submitted by well-wisher on

From the website How Stuff Works on the "Many Worlds Theory"

"As unsettling as it may sound, Everett's Many-Worlds interpretation has implications beyond the quantum level. If an action has more than one possible outcome, then -- if Everett's theory is correct -- the universe splits when that action is taken. This holds true even when a person chooses not to take an action".

http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/parallel...

Now, based on this idea. If a person dies in one second in one universe, it would make sense that another universe would come into existence where they die in two seconds and another where they die in 3 seconds and so on until there is a universe where they don't die until a hundred years later and so on for eternity.

Oh look, a link. I wonder where it leads.

JoHn

Submitted by haze on

hello wellwisher,

everett's many worlds interpratation is a particular version of the parallel universes theory, and as it stands, a minority view. The absurdness of extrapolating quantum events to large complex systems such as cats and people has already been shown by the thought experiments 'Schrodinger's cat' and 'quantum suicide'.

if the inaction of an individual can cause a universal split, then where do you draw the line? what wouldn't cause a split?

of course, your original point is valid if only regarded in the terms of everett's many worlds interpratation - but, as you have highlighted yourself, that only leads to ridiculous conclusions.

phew! - quantum mechanics is exhausting!