In quantum copying and merging, every “branch” operation preserves the total measure of the original branch,
Maybe branch quantum operations don’t make new copies, but represent already existing but identical copies “becoming” no longer identical?
In the computer program analogy: instead of having one program at time t and n slightly different versions at time t+1, start out with n copies already existing (but identical) at time t, and have each one change in the branching. If you expect a t+2, you need to start with at least n^2 copies...
...and that may mean a lot more copies of everything than would otherwise be expected even under many worlds, but even if it’s enough to give this diabolical monster bed-wetting nightmares, by the Occam’s razor that works for predicting physical laws, that’s absolutely fine.
Maybe branch quantum operations don’t make new copies, but represent already existing but identical copies “becoming” no longer identical?
In the computer program analogy: instead of having one program at time t and n slightly different versions at time t+1, start out with n copies already existing (but identical) at time t, and have each one change in the branching. If you expect a t+2, you need to start with at least n^2 copies...
...and that may mean a lot more copies of everything than would otherwise be expected even under many worlds, but even if it’s enough to give this diabolical monster bed-wetting nightmares, by the Occam’s razor that works for predicting physical laws, that’s absolutely fine.