assume for simplicity we have two universesone is described by a wavefunction 'bindun' and the other by a wavefunction 'undone'. each wavefunction is an enormously complicated wave that would likely look reminiscent of spiritualised's seminal 'ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space', which is pretty fitting since you can picture these universes as two sheets floating in space.
both wavefunctions are changing extremely rapidly and unpredictably. normally, averaging over a reasonable period (of a few seconds, say) there will be no correlation between universes. at various times, however, one might conjecture that the universes are briefly marching in step. at these times, the wavefunctions are said to be 'coherent', and there will be a non-vanishing correlation between them. if the parts of the wavefunction that describe you happen at that moment to be coherent, then you will perhaps experience 'bindun' and 'undone' at the same time.
and then, since half of you is in an undone state, you will be laughed at by children on the street and in danger of surprise sex.
(both wavefunctions are changing extremely rapidly and unpredictably. normally, averaging over a reasonable period (of a few seconds, say) there will be no correlation between universes. at various times, however, one might conjecture that the universes are briefly marching in step. at these times, the wavefunctions are said to be 'coherent', and there will be a non-vanishing correlation between them. if the parts of the wavefunction that describe you happen at that moment to be coherent, then you will perhaps experience 'bindun' and 'undone' at the same time.
and then, since half of you is in an undone state, you will be laughed at by children on the street and in danger of surprise sex.
boris the spider,
Fri 16 Oct 2009, 15:16,
archived)
Schmerg, schmerg, schmerg, schmerg, schmerg..I think my brain just wee'd itself.
(
Joliet,
Fri 16 Oct 2009, 15:18,
archived)
My work here is doneI'm now off to have tea with a friend who did her Masters in, coincidentally, string theory. Which involves picking random bits of the "string landscape" and seeing if they could be our universe. (No, they couldn't. But your likelihood of finding a bit of the landscape that contains our universe is roughly 1 part in 100000000000000000000.....0000000. There's between 100 and 500 zeroes there.)
( boris the spider,
Fri 16 Oct 2009, 15:20,
archived)