Re: Closer To Truth interview

On 8 May 2013, at 22:23, Steve <sonatine123-/[email protected]> wrote:

> Hello David
> 
> Thanks for this link - what an interesting website!
> 
> I have a question about one of your videos.  In 'Many Worlds Of Quantum Theory' you state a figure of 10 raised to 10 raised to the power of 23 as the number of histories involved when considering a cubic metre of air molecules.  How, in principle at least, is this figure derived ?
> 
> Incidentally I have read both of your books, and know a little about the 'Many Worlds Interpretaion' of quantum mechanics.

I can't remember the context in which I said that but it'll be something like this: 10^23 is the number of molecules in a mole (which actually occupies 22.4 litres, not a cubic metre, but never mind). If each molecule is in n different places at once, mostly uncorrelated with the others, then there are about n^(10^23) different histories under way. We can let n be 10 quite arbitrarily because with huge numbers like that, the topmost power is pretty much all that counts for purposes of envisaging it.

So it's a ballpark estimate raised to the power of a ballpark estimate raised to the power of a ballpark estimate.

-- David Deutsch