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The Forum > General Discussion > Cosmology and Boltzmanns Brain

Cosmology and Boltzmanns Brain

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Just wondering what people think of this article. It’s a bit heavy but quite interesting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/science/15brain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=science

It points out that due to the second law of thermal dynamics basically being that the longer anything exists (the universe included) the more chaotic its structure gets. So the question was asked how is it then that our universe exists in its seemingly stable state seeing that it should be incredibly chaotic. If the second law of thermal dynamics holds true our universe must be just a momentary fluctuation in time and the same would be said for our conscious experience which must be just a random occurrence.

Nature will generally do what is easiest so it’s a whole lot easier to create a momentary consciousness in time then it is to create an entire life or for that matter an entire universe. The theory is call “Boltzmann brain” named after an Austrian physicist who said that there should be more “naked conscious brains” floating in space then there are conscious individuals due to the fact that it is easier to make naked brains then it is to make an entire human.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boltzman_brain

Anyway I don’t think I explained it very well as some of it went over my head and I am quite tired but read the two links and let me know what you think.
Posted by EasyTimes, Monday, 25 August 2008 12:22:52 AM
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Dear Easy Times,

I think scientists must have too much
time on their hands to come up with
those theories. Am I real? Or just an
illusion?

I think I'm real - and not simply
a brain floating around in space.

Is time moving, or is it standing still?

Why can't an egg be unscrambled?

'Cause I ate it!
Posted by Foxy, Wednesday, 27 August 2008 8:25:12 PM
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Hey foxy thanks for the reply. I know I did a poor job at writing/explaining it.. but anyway.

I find philosophy/cosmology interesting and I like to look into the big questions like “Why are we hear” “Why is there something instead of nothing because really there should be nothing”

The New York times article was asking the question that according to the laws of physics or the laws of physics as we know them “Boltzmann Brain” should be the norm not the current universe that we live in. As the article said nobody actually believed it but the laws of physics said that it should be true. So physicist try to explain it. It’s an interesting paradox.
Posted by EasyTimes, Thursday, 28 August 2008 3:51:26 PM
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Dear Easy Times,

It's a fascinating concept.

But, I've got to admit, a lot of
it is way beyond my understanding.

Still, anything is possible, I guess.
We're only limited by our imagination,
right? (Forgot who said that).

Parallel worlds, recurring universes, time
travel, the full power of our minds,
so much to learn and discover...

So many fields, where do you start?
Scientific thought?
Posted by Foxy, Thursday, 28 August 2008 5:39:13 PM
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ET "Nature will generally do what is easiest so it’s a whole lot easier to create a momentary consciousness in time then it is to create an entire life or for that matter an entire universe. "

you mean it is not "Intelligent Design"?

I sit on a fence in this one.

On the one hand an all powerful omnipotent being...

On the other hand the chaos you speak of...

in between me, with this idea God set it all up as a huge experiment to see what might happen and left random chance to decide the outcomes.

I guess we are just the rats and the universe is just our cage....
Posted by Col Rouge, Thursday, 28 August 2008 6:59:23 PM
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