From: hal@finney.org
Date: Mon Jun 07 1999 - 09:46:18 MDT
Emlyn O'Regan, <Emlyn.ORegan@actew.com.au>, writes, regarding Smolin's
baby universe theory:
> If this mechanism of creating new universes exists, you would imagine that a
> sufficiently advanced civilisation/intelligence could trigger it - create
> new black holes, manipulate existing ones, whatever.
>
> If that is the case, and it's not cataclysmically dangerous to do so
> (relative to the necessary level of technology required), and given that
> civilisations/intelligences who get far enough to be able to do such a thing
> would probably have the drive to attempt it for the sake of doing, then you
> have the result that universes which successfully develop advanced
> intelligent life can spawn new universes which are copies of themselves.
Their motivations in doing this (rather than other things they could do
with the resources) seem a bit abstract. From what I understand, it is
not possible to move into the newly created universe. (You may be able
to get some information into it, but it is limited.) So this would be
a purely altruistic gesture, creating what they hope are new universes,
ones which are forever independent of their own, and in which life might
someday evolve.
The problem is that they have to destroy resources in their own universe
to do this, shoving useful matter and energy down the throat of the
black hole. Not to mention the cost of moving stars around or whatever
is necessary to create them. It's not going to be easy, so this is far
from a cost free endeavor.
No doubt some people would be interested in doing this, but it is
questionable whether it can rival natural processes in terms of creating
black holes.
Hal
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