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Timeline of the far future

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Re: Timeline of the far future

#21
post #14

Even more "mind shivering" than this one was a linked article about Boltzman brains ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boltzmann_brain ) which I had never heard of before.

What's more likely: nearly infinite sentient universes complete with false memories of human experiences emerging from entropic chaos, or that we don't quite understand the nature of entropy?

The Boltzmann theory is one of those thought experiments that should draw into question it's assumptions out of the pure absurdity of its logical conclusions rather than be taken seriously itself.

Re: Timeline of the far future

#22
post #21
post #14

Even more "mind shivering" than this one was a linked article about Boltzman brains ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boltzmann_brain ) which I had never heard of before.

What's more likely: nearly infinite sentient universes complete with false memories of human experiences emerging from entropic chaos, or that we don't quite understand the nature of entropy? The Boltzmann theory is one of those thought experiments that should draw into question it's assumptions out of the pure absurdity of its logical conclusions rather than be taken seriously itself.

Isn't this just a simple matter of probability? Given an event, however unprobable it is, it can happen given infinite time? From a purely mathematical standpoint, this is correct.

Re: Timeline of the far future

#23
post #22
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's more likely: nearly infinite sentient universes complete with false memories of human experiences emerging from entropic chaos, or that we don't quite understand the nature of entropy? The Boltzmann theory is one of those thought experiments that should draw into question it's assumptions out of the pure absurdity of its logical conclusions rather than be taken seriously itself.

Isn't this just a simple matter of probability? Given an event, however unprobable it is, it can happen given infinite time? From a purely mathematical standpoint, this is correct.

If your assumption is infinite time and complete entropy, yes it's correct. It's also why some level of common sense (e.g. Occam's razor) should be applied before such silliness is seriously proposed. I don't think Boltzmann assumes infinite time and entropy, just enough for the completely random emergence of sentient life that thinks (perhaps falsely) that it lives in a universe populated by similar beings who created iPads from dirt and water.

Does it seem more reasonable that there is infinite time and every possible state of matter and history exists at some point, or that we simply haven't figured out the balancing forces of entropy and order?

Infinity is an interesting thought experiment, but it so thoroughly ridiculous that it should cause us to question our assumptions, not believe in absurdity conclusions based on faith in mathematics and unproven postulates that got us there.

We might as well believe the Bible is true. Not only is it less absurd, but given the infinite theory, there must exist a universe where it is true, and this could be it (unless it is truly contradictory and impossible even with infinite states of the universe, which we have no reason to believe.)

Re: Timeline of the far future

#25
> 600 million : As weathering of Earth's surfaces increases with the Sun's luminosity, carbon dioxide levels in its atmosphere decrease. By this time, they will fall to the point at which C3 photosynthesis is no longer possible. All plants which utilize C3 photosynthesis (~99 percent of species) will die.

Interesting. We should save up our fossil fuels and burn them all at once in 600 million years to save the trees!

But in all likelihood, a lot of new fossil fuels will have formed by then.

Re: Timeline of the far future

#26
post #14

Even more "mind shivering" than this one was a linked article about Boltzman brains ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boltzmann_brain ) which I had never heard of before.

Thanks for sending me down hours of engrossed reading in which I constantly question the nature of my existence.
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