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Comment by MichaelGG | Hacker News Reader

I thought the whole implication of MWI is that every possibility does happen and universes are constantly splitting off. So there's an unlimited number of copies of you, some essentially identical, others experiencing inconceivable suffering or pleasure.

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Both the Schrodinger equation and inflationary cosmology predict alternate worlds filled with alternate yous. MWI refers to the former. The author of this piece is talking about the later.

If anyone is looking for a simple introduction to the Everett interpretation I'll point you to this short lecture by James Ladyman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgXVEeL9tzM

My understanding was that some theories of inflation require multiverses to exist. I have never heard that the Schrodinger equation nor inflationary cosmology themselves predict alternate worlds. Some theories require them (to get the math to fit), but there are definitely alternatives.

That's one way to think of it, but when dealing with infinity, one event isn't time dependent on another. Think of a reality (or infinite realities) where you remove the dimension of time entirely out of the equation.

Many Worlds is one concept; this is another and quite different.

One more note on this.. fernly and others have correctly pointed out that these did come about as different theories, but there are physicists who have come to believe they are the same thing.

But if aiming at the "philosophical" impact and consequences, why focus on the one that doesn't have some potential for implications?

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