In the Many Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, every time a decision is made, the universe splits into multiple parallel universes, each with a different outcome.
However, this raises the question of what happens when a decision is made that is influenced by the outcomes of previous decisions.
For instance, if I flip a coin, and it splits into two universes, one where it's heads and one where it's tails, but then in one of those universes, I flip it again, and it splits into two more universes.
This creates an infinite regression, where the number of universes grows exponentially.
- Universe 1: I flip the coin, and it's heads
- Universe 2: I flip the coin, and it's tails
- Universe 3: I flip the coin again, and it's heads
- Universe 4: I flip the coin again, and it's tails
- ...and so on
1. 2^0 = 1 1. 2^1 = 2 1. 2^2 = 4 1. 2^3 = 8 ...
As you can see, the number of universes grows exponentially with each decision.
But what does this mean for our understanding of free will and the nature of reality?
Is every decision a branching point, creating new universes with every possibility?
Or are some decisions more equal than others?
- Is the universe a deterministic, branching tree, or a chaotic, probabilistic mess?
- Can we ever truly know which universe we're in?
- Do we have free will, or are we just along for the ride?