This kind of thinking can just be an excuse for saying that reality shouldn’t make any sense. That’s not true. It will take a bit of mathematical training to get the right intuitions, but reality should make sense. It is possible to tell which of two theories is correct based on which one is simpler.
I don’t accuse Eliezer of falling for this. His sequence makes it clear he understands this.
Also, one minor nitpick:
complex amplitude
Once you accept timeless physics, there are real-only solutions, and it’s pretty much impossible to test if this universe uses complex ones. In other words, there is no evidence that the amplitude is anything other than real and it would be silly to assume it is.
This kind of thinking can just be an excuse for saying that reality shouldn’t make any sense. That’s not true. It will take a bit of mathematical training to get the right intuitions, but reality should make sense. It is possible to tell which of two theories is correct based on which one is simpler.
I don’t accuse Eliezer of falling for this. His sequence makes it clear he understands this.
Also, one minor nitpick:
Once you accept timeless physics, there are real-only solutions, and it’s pretty much impossible to test if this universe uses complex ones. In other words, there is no evidence that the amplitude is anything other than real and it would be silly to assume it is.