shminux comments on Thoughts from a conversation on quantum immortality - Less Wrong

1 [deleted] 08 May 2012 09:14PM

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Comment author: shminux 09 May 2012 03:20:28AM 0 points [-]

Branches that split off before that don't count.

Maybe I misunderstand the setup. I thought that in this model the state of one's life at 10am is determined by averaging over all the remaining copies in all branches, including those on the alien ship from 9am. As you keep trying to suicide, you fade out of your existence on Earth and into the ship. Did I get the setup it wrong?

Comment author: komponisto 09 May 2012 06:45:48AM 2 points [-]

As you keep trying to suicide, you fade out of your existence on Earth and into the ship. Did I get the setup it wrong?

Very much so, as far as I understand. Indeed, if it worked the way you suggest, presumably we'd be fading in and out of places all the time as the wavefunction evolves, rather than having a single coherent conscious experience.

Comment author: FeepingCreature 09 May 2012 12:37:16PM 1 point [-]

And how would we tell?

Comment author: shminux 09 May 2012 02:47:37PM 0 points [-]

I'd appreciate if you point me to the setup you are working with.

Comment author: khafra 09 May 2012 08:12:48PM 0 points [-]

I can't math, but as I understand it, branches merge only when they happen to become identical. So, unless your earthbound suicide attempts end up putting you in a situation physically indistiguishable from your MWI-cousin on an alien ship, you won't merge.