From: Damien Broderick (thespike@earthlink.net)
Date: Sun Jan 19 2003 - 16:35:18 MST
Serafino suggests:
< a good start to get (in theory!) weird and
powerful effects is to link the Everettian philosophy (MWI) with
the Aharonov-Bohm effect. >
Here's a half-baked notion I put up for demolition or development:
You have a double slit interference set-up, with optional shutter on one
slit, and evacuated photon paths from a splitter one light-day long (the
tricky part to arrange, no doubt).
You agree to open the shutter at 8 pm on the day of the next Lotto draw iff
the winning numbers are 3, 15, 27, 28, 31 and 45.
Is it the case that in those universes where this number set doesn't win,
versions of you will all see punctate recordings on the detector, while in
the n million fewer universes where it *does* win, you'll all see an
interference fringe? Or does the presence of a closed shutter in most
universes obliterate interference in *all* worlds?
In the 1 in n million test universes where fringes do show, you'll invest in
a ticket and be rich the next day. Better than *none* of you winning...
(As I recall, the mere possibility of closing the shutter forces the
non-interference, but maybe that gets finessed in this approach?)
Damien Broderick
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