X-Message-Number: 17890
Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2001 15:02:53 -0700
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: Re: Do you like philosophy?

At 10:00 AM 11/10/2001 +0000:
>Message #17881
>Date: Fri, 09 Nov 2001 16:23:33 -0500
>From: david pizer <>
>Subject: Do you like philosophy?
>
>...
>1.      The idea that something can come from nothing doesn't make sense 
>to me.
>For instance: I find that some theories of the Big Bang don't make sense.
>What I don't understand is how someone can hold that specific theory that
>says the universe was created (formed, arose, came from) from nothing.

My advice is, don't worry about it. Empty space is "nothing" yet particles 
can spontaneously form in it. Calling it "nothing" should not be taken too 
absolutely.

>... I have nevered believed there
>can be an uncaused event.  How would an uncaused event happen?
>
>What would be a good way to show that there can not be an uncaused event?
>

I don't know how to "show" that there *could not* be an uncaused event, and 
indeed, don't think it's possible, in an absolute, logically binding sense. 
Yet I too doubt that events are uncaused. 20th century physics has provided 
an interesting perspective on this issue without, however, answering the 
question. On a fine scale events do seem to happen at random, without 
discernible causes. Two ways around this difficulty are hidden-variable 
theories (the causes are there but too small to detect) and many-worlds 
(all possibilities are realized but observers split; each sees one version 
of events only, which appears to have happened at random, but this is 
appearance only). Personally, I prefer many-worlds. One must look for 
experimental tests that might suggest that one interpretation of reality is 
more likely than another. There seem to be some for the matter at hand--you 
might check Deutsch, *The Fabric of Reality*, or my book, *Forever for 
All*, ch. 5. These refs, as you might expect, are both favorable to 
many-worlds, but, as in many other areas, nothing is really definitive yet, 
and a lot remains to be done.

What will 21st century physics tell us?????? (Another reason to be signed up!)

Mike Perry

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