A trolley is running out of control down a track. In its path are 5 people who have been tied to the track by a mad physicist. Fortunately, if trolley ran down different track, it would activate timeturner that would send it 10 seconds back in time and then trolly would flip a switch, which will lead the trolley down a different track to timeturner. And also a bystander runs to flip a switch.
Possible stable states.
Bystander stops and wait for trolley to appear from nowhere. Trolley kills 5.
Bystander stops and wait for trolley to appear from nowhere. Trolley appears from nowhere and flips the switch, then original trolley runs to timeturner and disappears.
Trolley appears from nowhere kills bystander, which almost managed to reach the switch, and flips the switch, then original trolley runs to timeturner and disappears.
Bystander appears from nowhere and flips the switch, then original bystander runs to timeturner and disappears. Trolley run past deactivated timeturner.
Bystander appears from nowhere shouts “watch your step!” and fails to flip switch in time, original bystander looks on timetraveller, missteps and falls, then manages to activate timeturner and disappears. Trolley kills 5.
Bystander appears from nowhere shouts “careful!” and flips switch, original bystander looks on timetraveller, missteps, but manages to not fall, then activates timeturner and disappears. Trolley run past deactivated timeturner.
Bystander appears from nowhere looks on trolley, shouts “damn! too late” and fails to flip switch in time, original bystander hearing that tries to run faster, missteps and falls, then activates timeturner and disappears. Trolley kills 5.
Bystander appears from nowhere, shouts “Shout, what I shouting now, it is very important!” and flips switch, original bystander activates timeturner and disappears. Trolley runs past deactivated timeturner.
Even in those rigid conditions stable states can be numerous without any improbable events. But yes, maybe you are right, because amount of information-from-nowhere must be limited by communication channel bandwidth (spoken or written speach, nonverbal actions of future-agent, agent’s memory throughput), thus rendering stable states in principle analyzable.
Ok. Almost pure physics.
A trolley is running out of control down a track. In its path are 5 people who have been tied to the track by a mad physicist. Fortunately, if trolley ran down different track, it would activate timeturner that would send it 10 seconds back in time and then trolly would flip a switch, which will lead the trolley down a different track to timeturner. And also a bystander runs to flip a switch.
Possible stable states.
Bystander stops and wait for trolley to appear from nowhere. Trolley kills 5.
Bystander stops and wait for trolley to appear from nowhere. Trolley appears from nowhere and flips the switch, then original trolley runs to timeturner and disappears.
Trolley appears from nowhere kills bystander, which almost managed to reach the switch, and flips the switch, then original trolley runs to timeturner and disappears.
Bystander appears from nowhere and flips the switch, then original bystander runs to timeturner and disappears. Trolley run past deactivated timeturner.
Bystander appears from nowhere shouts “watch your step!” and fails to flip switch in time, original bystander looks on timetraveller, missteps and falls, then manages to activate timeturner and disappears. Trolley kills 5.
Bystander appears from nowhere shouts “careful!” and flips switch, original bystander looks on timetraveller, missteps, but manages to not fall, then activates timeturner and disappears. Trolley run past deactivated timeturner.
Bystander appears from nowhere looks on trolley, shouts “damn! too late” and fails to flip switch in time, original bystander hearing that tries to run faster, missteps and falls, then activates timeturner and disappears. Trolley kills 5.
Bystander appears from nowhere, shouts “Shout, what I shouting now, it is very important!” and flips switch, original bystander activates timeturner and disappears. Trolley runs past deactivated timeturner.
Even in those rigid conditions stable states can be numerous without any improbable events. But yes, maybe you are right, because amount of information-from-nowhere must be limited by communication channel bandwidth (spoken or written speach, nonverbal actions of future-agent, agent’s memory throughput), thus rendering stable states in principle analyzable.