From: Emlyn (pentacle@enternet.com.au)
Date: Mon Jan 31 2000 - 03:39:42 MST
Ed wrote:
> I just finished reading S. Baxter's new book, 'Manifold Time'. Although I
> enjoyed reading it, the last 5-10 pages of this 400+ page book was very
> disturbing. And scary.
>
> In a nutshell, the discussion is that our universe, being metastable,
i.e.,
> not in its lowest energy state, is like living in the 'wrong
neighborhood'.
> The proclaimed goal, at least announced by some of our descendents a
billion
> years hence, is to time-travel back to present day, and induce a quantun
> tunneling effect that brings back the universe to its 'true, vacuum
state'.
> This has the unfortunate 'side effect' of instantly destroying all of
> humankind, in fact all life forms, all matter in our 'false universe'.
If someone from the future were going to wipe out my entire existence (bwa
ha ha ha), then wouldn't I either a: already know, or b: be blissfully
unaware? I have not noticed my existence being obliterated (I assure you my
perceptive powers reach at least that far), so either the theory is hogwash
(good for dirty pigs?), or b: has occured, and I don't care.
Probably I should read the book and find out more, before getting
annihilated (before I was born). Or is this some kind of future society that
studies late 20th century earth, and has a hankering to start there? If so,
the annihilation will begin in LA or New York, unless crap sci fi has lied
to me.
Emlyn
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