On 27 Mar 2014, at 17:50, meekerdb wrote:
On 3/26/2014 11:38 PM, LizR wrote:
OK, I suppose the argument makes sense, sort of (although it seems
more likely to me that genes would act as though there is one
universe whether that's the case or not, for reasons I already
mentioned). Anyway let's assume it does, at least for the sake of
argument, and see if it's coherent, if you'll pardon a quantum pun.
Interesting that in quantum mechanics coherent mean "interferes
with itself" but in logic it means "doesn't contradict itself".
Well, the "official" term is "consistent". Actually "coherent" is used
in linear logic, and some quantum logic, and also in topology, with a
meaning which somehow generalizes "interfere with itself".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coherent_space
http://llwiki.ens-lyon.fr/mediawiki/index.php/Coherent_semantics
Bruno
So the idea is that in a multiverse we - indeed all animals (and
plants, etc) should plump for a reproductive strategy that is
somehow equivalent to the "three descendants on a quantum coin
toss" one.
I'd say it's coherent, but inapplicable because a universe where a
species with strategy B occasionally gets wiped out, but those with
strategy A don't is a very unlikely universe. But if universes were
like that, so getting wiped out was correlated with reproductive
strategy, then it's an interesting question whether 'natural
selection' under MWI is different than for a single universe.
I guess my next question is, what could such a reproductive
strategy possibly look like in real life, given that most animals
have no access to quantum coin tossing?
I suppose you could look at the exigencies of life and mutation and
reproduction as providing the quantum coin tosses. But I don't
think it's realistic because getting wiped out as a species is more
a question of ecological niche and sheer numbers than reproductive
strategy.
Brent
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