Re: Closer To Truth interview

On 16/05/2013, at 7:35, "David Deutsch" <david.deutsch-LR/[email protected]> wrote:

> On 15 May 2013, at 20:49, hibbsa <hibbsa-/[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> > It seems to me you need conscious decisions for multiverse histories to see 
> 
> Does that mean "you need conscious decisions for multiverse histories to be conscious of..." 
> 
> If so, then yes: consciousness can't exist at all in the absence of consciousness.
> 
> > macroscopic divergence of a significant kind. 
> 
> What does 'seeing macroscopic divergence' mean? Presumably it doesn't mean 'being conscious of more than one universe'. Perhaps it means the existence of apparent randomness affecting macroscopic observables. But you don't need consciousness for that.
> 
As tBoI explains, nothing genuinely random (does this mean 'uncaused'?) happens in the multiverse. Everything that happens, happens in accordance with the laws of quantum theory. It is just that those laws mandate that all physically possible things happen so to a conscious observer there exists "apparent randomness" (from the perspective of that person).

But what I have said there must be deficient in some way because "apparent randomness" need not have anything to do with consciousness. It is an objective feature of the multiverse and not simply due to the existence of people. 

So what would be a better way to understand "apparent randomness". Could it just be a synonym for "uncommon events"? 

Brett.
> 


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