Were There an Infinite Number Of Quantum Beginnings? Stephen Hawking Says "Yes"

That might sound like what happens when a poet reads a physics textbook, but it's an actual theory put forward by Stephen Hawking-grade scientists.  Stephen Hawking, in fact, and Professor Thomas Hertog of CERN, who came up with a unique answer to how the universe began: "In every way imaginable."

That's not the result of chemically-assisted consciousness, either, they actually derived their way to that solution to solve problems in the existing approach.  Physics is excellent at starting somewhere and working out what happens afterwards - but when the whole question is "how did things start?" you can't do that.  You could run the physics backwards, which works for footballs and F15s, but only because they really are classical - and when you work backwards from the result you're assuming everything obeyed classical rules all the way back, because you can't undo an observation to find the quantum mixture of states that existed previously.

The Hawking/Hertog approach is to instead define a new approach to the problem based on what we know: right now.  They call this the "Top-down" approach, starting with the end result and working backwards in a way which accounts for quantum mechanics - and therefore can't isolate an individual history.  In fact, even the statement of an individual universe without observers in it doesn't make sense.

But how can you tell trash from real theory?  Easily: the latter is verifiable, and amazingly the array of un-universes selected against on the way to the way things are now left a tiny imprint.  The scientists describe how some effects of this extraordinary genesis would leave imprints on the observable cosmic microwave background, and are working to make predictions of what would be seen - so they can then see if they see it.

Luke McKinney

Hawking rewrites history backwards http://www.bioedonline.org/news/news.cfm?art=2617

Comments

[Dredd]

This reminds me of the professor who does not want to be bothered by endless questions about "how many of these are there professor?" ... if he tells the inquisitive student "an infinite number" obviously neither the professor nor the student knows how many that is. End of bothersome questions.

Quality is not a function of quantity so it is a less fruitful path anyway, to determine how many, because how our species survives in the cosmos is the quality question.

There are quality answers to questions we can believe in aren't there?

[Simon]

Our species may be quite far from having to worry about its survival in the cosmos; the real quality question being our survival in our countries, specifically in the U.S. where history and current reality have been twisted by the manipulation of certain, biased media. This, of course, is primaruily observable by specialist in motivation researches and such. What seems to have happened, or originated, was the transformation of a minority into a super race; the original intention having been to help in improving the image of the minority involved, which terminated in an unfair brainwashing program in the U.S.. Otherwise, how could a country with a 300+ million population have elected a 12% minority PRESIDENT?
It´s very clear; just a matter of watching movies and TV. For years, the characters of the minority involved have acted as the best policemen, doctors, lawyers, detectives, CIA and FBI special agents (in decision making roles), cowboys (history twisting?)etc., ah yes, also PRESIDENTS. So, throughout time, too many U.S. citizen, become accustomed to accept the representatives of said minority as being more capable than their white counterparts. This unfair practice is
something that should be stopped, but who would dare speak?

As for quantity and quality of survival, what kind of quality has the quantity of 12 million illegals brought to the U.S.? Most of them are resentful of the host country and show it by establishing their country within the U.S., by not learning its language,bringing their traditions into it and establishing their political representatives. This is unfair as well.

Wake up America.

Simon Says.

[Joel]

hahaha, Simon so you believe the species is under attack from minorities who are coming into this country Illegally. There are various ethnic groups living in this country. I don't see why you would bring politics into a discussion about the origins of the universe. Have you ever wondered if the genetic mutation that you would pass on would ever matter in the next thousands of years and I do not believe you would be passing on quality considering the argument that you put forward.

[J Stevonymois]

Interesting theory. I say yes it makes sense, pretty much obviously.

The current 'moment' is but one expression of an infinite number of possible 'moments'. Every possible version of the future already exists, as well as the past. Experiencing one version of those infinitely possible moments - aka points in space and time - is what we know as 'life'. The choices we make (along with others) are the things that decide which specific version out of infinite futures we will experience. The origin of the universe would most likely also have infinite expressions.

Speaking of choices...

This comment from Simon is a decent example of what can happen based upon the decisions we make.

His choice of words and logic are an excellent example of what happens when one chooses to speak out of their sphincter rather than their mouth (scientifically speaking), there fore ensuring he exists in a future where people he does not even know, are aware that there is an idiot somewhere online in the world named Simon who's mental processes rival the intelligence of decaying fecal matter.

Being neither Democrat or Republican, it is unbiased for me to say that a more realistic interpretation of why we have a half ethnic minority for a president is that our culture is finally willing to see the world as not completely dominated by only white males. Even if he sucks as president, this gesture on a symbolic level alone is quite a sign of progress and is being reflected by the fact that since he entered office, international support for and respect for America as a nation is higher than it has been in many years.

I also happen to get the sense that Simon here was referring to Will Smith's role in Wild Wild West as an example of 'history twisting'. Cause Will Smith movies are soooooo historically accurate.

Equivalent to decaying fecal matter indeed...

[another fool]

J Stevo, "who's?" Try whose.

[SB]

There cannot be an infinite quantum units of anything. Infinity is not a number it is a non empirical conception being used in error to describe the structure of an empirical universe. Blending empirical and non empirical values renders a non empirical, non scientific product.

[norm bourne]

There is no beginning, and there is no end !!!!!