NYT on Boltzmann’s brains and infinite Universes
There’s a pretty interesting article in today’s New York Times on Boltzmann’s brains and probability of a human reincarnation arising purely from the entropy in the Universe. Among the infinitesimal amount of atoms, what is the probability of a combination forming, replicating your structure entirely?
In an interview Dr. Linde described these brains as a form of reincarnation. Over the course of eternity, he said, anything is possible. After some Big Bang in the far future, he said, “it’s possible that you yourself will re-emerge. Eventually you will appear with your table and your computer.” But it’s more likely, he went on, that you will be reincarnated as an isolated brain, without the baggage of stars and galaxies. In terms of probability, he said, “It’s cheaper.”