After I learned of MWI I felt the Fermi Paradox was more or less solved. Considering the number of near-misses we’ve already had in global nuclear war it seems likely that almost all intelligent species destroy themselves shortly after learning to crack the atom (including us). The universes where a single species managed to avoid self-annihilation will greatly out number the universes where multiple species managed to do so.
Assuming quantum fluctuations can have macro-level effects, of course.
If it seems likely that almost all intelligent species destroy themselves shortly after “cracking the atom,” what more do you need? The absence of perceivable aliens is exactly what you should expect in that case.
What do MWI and quantum fluctuations have to do with it?
If MWI were wrong, it would raise the question “if our survival to this point was so improbable, how come we did survive?”. Our existence would be evidence that we were wrong about the improbability.
After I learned of MWI I felt the Fermi Paradox was more or less solved. Considering the number of near-misses we’ve already had in global nuclear war it seems likely that almost all intelligent species destroy themselves shortly after learning to crack the atom (including us). The universes where a single species managed to avoid self-annihilation will greatly out number the universes where multiple species managed to do so.
Assuming quantum fluctuations can have macro-level effects, of course.
I’m utterly bewildered by this comment.
If it seems likely that almost all intelligent species destroy themselves shortly after “cracking the atom,” what more do you need? The absence of perceivable aliens is exactly what you should expect in that case.
What do MWI and quantum fluctuations have to do with it?
If MWI were wrong, it would raise the question “if our survival to this point was so improbable, how come we did survive?”. Our existence would be evidence that we were wrong about the improbability.
Yes, what he said.
I’m still not really convinced there are actual macro-level differences between universes though, which kinda puts the whole thing back into doubt.