META: Alternate universes, time travel, and free will (Was: Re: 8FOLD/META: About the Author # 1: Tom Russell)

[Tom Russell]

Jesus, Martin!

You've always struck me as a smart guy (hell, I still remember you
explaining a chemistry thing to me back when I was in high school and
straggling), but this is ridiculously erudite!

I'm feeling quite enriched.  :)

Thanks.

--Tom

PS: Now, I'm about as lost when it comes to science, metaphysics,
quantum theory, etcetera, but I read somewhere that Schroedinger's Cat
was never meant to prove that the cat was both alive and dead, but that
it's a reducio ad absurdum: a cat can't be both alive and dead at the
same time, therefore a particle can't be decaying and not decaying at
the same time.  Did I get that about right?

I guess the big question is (if this is right), how did it go from a
Quantum Theory thing to the Many Worlds Theory?

--Tom

PS, again: Just got a mental image of Jor-El pulling people over to his
machine and saying, "See?"  And the Kryptonians say, "Look, Jorry,
we've been friends a long time, right?  We'll take care of this.  Just,
uh, don't mention it to anyone.  This being an election year... people
get kind of uppity when you shout 'exploding planet'... just kind of
keep this on the D-Lo, okay?  How's the wife and kid?"

Thanks to Andrew and The Joltin' One, earlier in the thread, for that.

--Tom