Comments on: Anathem http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=anathem Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:32:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rudy http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/comment-page-1/#comment-17811 Rudy Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:21:43 +0000 http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/?p=607#comment-17811 Gordon, I think Neal is in fact thinking about the quantum mechanical branching model, which Everett called Many Worlds, in which pretty much every possible universe exists, due to very profligate quantum branching. Note that the branchings can involve events in which the fundamental constants of nature were set, so these many worlds will include universes with different universal contstants. The word Multiverse has really come to act a synonym for Many Worlds, for instance Daved Deutsch uses Multiverse in the Everett sense in his excellent-in-some-chapters book THE FABRIC OF REALITY. Sometimes SF writer prefer to have only a small and manageable number of alternate universes, but whether they call this a Many Universe, Multiverse, or Parallel Worlds model is pretty much a matter of taste. Explaining why only SOME of the possible worlds exist takes a bit of effort, but there's all kinds of angles. In my novel MATHEMATICIANS IN LOVE, I had a limited number of parallel universes because a god-like jellyfish in another brane was producing versions of our universe at a rate of one per week, like drafts of a novel, or versions of a blog post. In short, the terminology is fluid. Gordon, I think Neal is in fact thinking about the quantum mechanical branching model, which Everett called Many Worlds, in which pretty much every possible universe exists, due to very profligate quantum branching. Note that the branchings can involve events in which the fundamental constants of nature were set, so these many worlds will include universes with different universal contstants.

The word Multiverse has really come to act a synonym for Many Worlds, for instance Daved Deutsch uses Multiverse in the Everett sense in his excellent-in-some-chapters book THE FABRIC OF REALITY.

Sometimes SF writer prefer to have only a small and manageable number of alternate universes, but whether they call this a Many Universe, Multiverse, or Parallel Worlds model is pretty much a matter of taste. Explaining why only SOME of the possible worlds exist takes a bit of effort, but there’s all kinds of angles. In my novel MATHEMATICIANS IN LOVE, I had a limited number of parallel universes because a god-like jellyfish in another brane was producing versions of our universe at a rate of one per week, like drafts of a novel, or versions of a blog post.

In short, the terminology is fluid.

]]> By: Gordon http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/comment-page-1/#comment-17807 Gordon Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:30:46 +0000 http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/?p=607#comment-17807 Rudy---has Neal confused "Many worlds" with the "Multiverse"? Hugh Everett's many worlds interpretation of QM is that the wave function never collapses(decoheres), but the universe splits into possible outcomes, one of which we take. The "mutliverse", on the other hand, has many other universes either in our universe beyond the horizon, or in parallel worlds, where universal contstants are tweaked abit differently. I am sure that you are aware of the distinction. I haven't read the book, but from comments about it, I think it is not MANY WORLDS, but the MUlTIVERSE that is being discussed by Stephenson. Rudy—has Neal confused “Many worlds” with the “Multiverse”?
Hugh Everett’s many worlds interpretation of QM is that the wave function never collapses(decoheres), but the universe splits into possible outcomes, one of which we take. The “mutliverse”, on the other hand, has many other universes either in our universe beyond the horizon, or in parallel worlds, where universal contstants are tweaked abit differently. I am sure that you are aware of the distinction.
I haven’t read the book, but from comments about it, I think it is not MANY WORLDS, but
the MUlTIVERSE that is being discussed by Stephenson.

]]> By: Ian http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/comment-page-1/#comment-16463 Ian Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:53:51 +0000 http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/?p=607#comment-16463 wow: Postsingular (okay, Hylozoic) needs a trailer. a clickable heterolinear flash thing, not a parody of movietrailers. something that could be an actual ad-or-something in the book's parallel rudyworld. a moment of big pig. sideways impressions you have of the book when you're halfway through it. take almost any couple of pages and do it real faithfully. "what the aitch was THAT?" ! wow: Postsingular (okay, Hylozoic) needs a trailer. a clickable heterolinear flash thing, not a parody of movietrailers. something that could be an actual ad-or-something in the book’s parallel rudyworld. a moment of big pig. sideways impressions you have of the book when you’re halfway through it. take almost any couple of pages and do it real faithfully. “what the aitch was THAT?” !

]]> By: Ian http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/comment-page-1/#comment-16462 Ian Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:37:22 +0000 http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/?p=607#comment-16462 dig how the page background (rudy's cellulart) has shadow-fourdee'd into the overarching umbrella fabric in the santacruz photo with the text next to it that asks if cellular automata can think... and the whole Anathem thang of flatland worlds of shadows of greater 4d thinks. dig how the page background (rudy’s cellulart) has shadow-fourdee’d into the overarching umbrella fabric in the santacruz photo with the text next to it that asks if cellular automata can think… and the whole Anathem thang of flatland worlds of shadows of greater 4d thinks.

]]> By: Joanthan Trainham http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/comment-page-1/#comment-16418 Joanthan Trainham Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:01:00 +0000 http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/?p=607#comment-16418 Man I've got to read this book!! Reading this blog might be the next step for evolution for humans. Reading this I feel like a better human, with this great knowledge and truth. I like the relgion and media part. You know Neal that stuff is like opium for the masses it's a mean of control. Like keeping slaves uneducated so they wouldn't revolt. the same as it is today they keed us sedated and fearful. Noam Chomsky was saying something along these lines about how the government is privatizing citizens through fear like he was describing his home, I thinks some Boston suburb and people had alarms on their cars and houses, afraid something might happen. Becoming fearful of others because the media fuels our negative thoughts by constant drum beating of bad news how many hours did they run the Hurricane Ike incidents or any local accident with pointless constant news coverage. Anyway thanks Rudy for turning me onto a new book, THANKS!! JON Man I’ve got to read this book!! Reading this blog might be the next step for evolution for humans. Reading this I feel like a better human, with this great knowledge and truth. I like the relgion and media part. You know Neal that stuff is like opium for the masses it’s a mean of control. Like keeping slaves uneducated so they wouldn’t revolt. the same as it is today they keed us sedated and fearful. Noam Chomsky was saying something along these lines about how the government is privatizing citizens through fear like he was describing his home, I thinks some Boston suburb and people had alarms on their cars and houses, afraid something might happen. Becoming fearful of others because the media fuels our negative thoughts by constant drum beating of bad news how many hours did they run the Hurricane Ike incidents or any local accident with pointless constant news coverage. Anyway thanks Rudy for turning me onto a new book, THANKS!!

JON

]]> By: John http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/comment-page-1/#comment-16404 John Sat, 13 Sep 2008 21:01:42 +0000 http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/?p=607#comment-16404 Neal is in the trailer for about 1 second -- he's shown in one of the giant videoscreens that Erasmus is gaping at. Neal is in the trailer for about 1 second — he’s shown in one of the giant videoscreens that Erasmus is gaping at.

]]> By: Rudy http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/comment-page-1/#comment-16396 Rudy Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:35:46 +0000 http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/?p=607#comment-16396 Tom, I don't think Neal is in the trailer, at least he didn't mention this to me. There are a number of characters in the book with shaved heads, these are the martial arts avout of Ringing Vale. Neal said that when the publisher asked him about having a trailer, he thought they were kidding, and just said, "Sure, why not," and then the pubs found a guy who went off and made the whole trailer on his own for not all that much money. Tom, I don’t think Neal is in the trailer, at least he didn’t mention this to me. There are a number of characters in the book with shaved heads, these are the martial arts avout of Ringing Vale.

Neal said that when the publisher asked him about having a trailer, he thought they were kidding, and just said, “Sure, why not,” and then the pubs found a guy who went off and made the whole trailer on his own for not all that much money.

]]> By: MarcL http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/comment-page-1/#comment-16394 MarcL Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:11:33 +0000 http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/?p=607#comment-16394 Many worlds or no worlds? http://www.cyriak.co.uk/lhc/lhc-webcams.html Many worlds or no worlds?

http://www.cyriak.co.uk/lhc/lhc-webcams.html

]]> By: Tom Jackson http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/comment-page-1/#comment-16393 Tom Jackson Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:30:59 +0000 http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/?p=607#comment-16393 Rudy, Is the bald guy in the trailer Neal Stephenson? Rudy,
Is the bald guy in the trailer Neal Stephenson?

]]> By: Steve H http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/2008/09/08/anathem/comment-page-1/#comment-16392 Steve H Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:51:14 +0000 http://www.rudyrucker.com/blog/?p=607#comment-16392 Pate? Stuff gives me gas. Try the pimiento cheese sandwiches. Pate? Stuff gives me gas. Try the pimiento cheese sandwiches.

]]>