From: Perry E. Metzger (perry@piermont.com)
Date: Thu Apr 24 2003 - 12:39:37 MDT
Thomas R Mazanec <tmazanec1@juno.com> writes:
> But I always thought that, while it is impossible to write fiction,
> it is possible to write fantasy. Thus, while an infinite number of
> dark worlds where Hitler won the war exist, there are none where
> Sauron won his war. Was I wrong? Is there really an Inuyasha
> and Tegome in some alternate Japan a google megaparsecs away?
> Somewhere out there, I know Robin Hood is actually fighting the
> Sheriff of Nottingham, but is Sonic fighting Dr. Robotnik?
That has been bothering me too. Magic can't work anywhere -- the laws
of physics are the same in all Level 1 universes. However, are there
level 1 universes in which a sequence of very low probability events
gives people the impression that magic works? Such worlds would be
spectacularly unlikely, but the issue is are they completely impossible
or just spectacularly unlikely, because the latter means in an
infinite universe somewhere it has happened...
BTW, I similarly note that not all non-magical histories seem
particularly probable. What would lead an alternate Stalin to one
morning in the middle of WW-II decide to, say, put on a tutu and dance
in the streets of Moscow? What would be the physics of such a thing
happening? Some spectacularly unlikely quantum branch drastically
changing around the inside of Stalin's brain? If it is possible at all
it could happen in an infinite Level I multiverse, but is it actually
possible at all?
> means for what can (and therefore must exist). An infinite number
> of Tom Sawyers and Sherlock Holmses of course, but an infinite
> number of Bugs Bunnys and Woody Woodpeckers?
> (not that such a thought would be emotionally unpleasant to me...
> if anything, just the opposite).
-- Perry E. Metzger perry@piermont.com
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