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From: gjphw@ihuxm.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: alternate universes
Message-ID: <447@ihuxm.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Aug-83 20:06:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxm.447
Posted: Wed Aug 17 20:06:39 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Aug-83 22:30:41 EDT
Organization: BTL Naperville, Il.
Lines: 42


   This personal note is in reply to a query sent by G. Skinner to net.physics
seeking comments about the prospects for the existence of alternate universes.
He seemed to be asking for the opinion of physicists (eh?).  Almost at the
same time that this challenge appeared, R. Forward posted an article in this
news group listing several references that discuss alternate universes and
quantum mechanics by a few practicing physicists.  My degree says physics but
my specialty is thermodynamics.  I have not read any of the references given
in the Forward article, but I thought that I might launch into the melee.

   Alternate universes are not standard topics for consideration in the
graduate education of physicists.  In fact, more than three spatial dimensions
are not covered in graduate school.  Only recently, with the introduction of
some promising grand unification theories (GUTs) have more than three
dimensions been considered tolerable.

   Science has many explicit and implicit assumptions built into it.  One
says that the subject of science, in my case it is physics, is capable of
being understood by the human mind (even though it may only be collectively).
Another is that the best theories describe the greatest number of phenomena
with the fewest number of assumptions.  This is also known as Occam's razor.
For a successful theory, one that describes alot without serious violations,
the assumptions that go into that theory are granted ontological status (the
belief that they exist and are worthy of study).

   Alternate universes have not been found necessary for the description of
physical phenomena.  This does not prove that they don't exist, but merely
that they are unnecessary for theory building.  Since they are not used,
most physicists (including me) would vote that alternate universes do not
exist.  It may be entertaining to read stories that use various universes as
vehicles for the action or moral, but there is insufficient motivation to
begin a search for any alternate universe.  Whether or not our existence
is the alternate universe of someone else's imagination lies completely
outside of, and violates another assumption of, physical science.

   And now, I return to my ivory tower....

                                       Patrick Wyant
                                       Bell Labs (Naperville, IL)
                                       *!ihuxm!gjphw