Could the Universe's Early State Be a Superposition of High and Low Entropy?

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In summary, a Chinese researcher who supports collapse theories has proposed the "past hypothesis" which suggests that the universe began in a low entropy state. However, the researcher believes that this may not be necessary and instead, the early universe could have been a superposition of a high and low entropy state. This could explain the observed thermal dynamical time through the concept of quantum many worlds. In another article, the researcher suggests that the observed thermal dynamical time is strong evidence for the existence of many worlds. The main question is about the significance of the past hypothesis and the claims made by the researcher.
  • #1
Adrian Lee
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Today I came over an article(preprint)named “time’s arrow points to many worlds”,by a Chinese researcher (who is a supporter of collapse theories himself?)
He introduced the”past hypothesis “,which is the hypothesis that the universe started as a low entropy state.(See Hawking,Wallace and others).He thinks that this isn’t necessary and he instead thinks it is possible that the early universe could be a superposition of a high entropy state and a low entropy state.In this case, the observed thermal dynamical time can only be explained by anthropological terms of quantum many worlds.
In his other article he cited this paper and “moreover,the observed thermaldynamical time may be a strong evidence of the existence of many worlds.”
I’d like to know more about the hypothesis and the significance of his claims?
 
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  • #2
Adrian Lee said:
Today I came over an article(preprint)named “time’s arrow points to many worlds”,by a Chinese researcher (who is a supporter of collapse theories himself?)
What article? Please give a link.
 
  • #3
PeterDonis said:
What article? Please give a link.
It’s preprint,so I can’t give it.In order not to be banned I just gave the main idea,and my main question is about the past hypothesis.(the article itself is very short within pages.)
 
  • #4
Adrian Lee said:
It’s preprint,so I can’t give it.
Huh? Preprints are routinely published on arxiv.org.

If you can't give it, we can't talk about it.

Thread closed.
 
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Adrian Lee said:
my main question is about the past hypothesis
Then you need to find a reference you can give about the past hypothesis, and ask your question based on what that reference says. Since you mentioned Hawking, Wallace and others, you should have no trouble finding a valid reference.
 

FAQ: Could the Universe's Early State Be a Superposition of High and Low Entropy?

What is "The past hypothesis"?

The past hypothesis, also known as the initial conditions hypothesis, is a proposed explanation for the state of the universe at its beginning. It states that the universe began in a low-entropy state, meaning that the distribution of matter and energy was highly ordered and uniform.

What evidence supports "The past hypothesis"?

There are several pieces of evidence that support the past hypothesis. One is the second law of thermodynamics, which states that entropy (a measure of disorder) always increases over time. This implies that the universe must have started in a low-entropy state. Additionally, observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation, the leftover glow from the Big Bang, also support the idea of a low-entropy beginning.

How does "The past hypothesis" relate to the concept of time?

The past hypothesis suggests that time began with a low-entropy state and has been moving towards a higher-entropy state ever since. This is known as the "arrow of time" and is a fundamental aspect of the past hypothesis. It also implies that the universe has a definite beginning and may have an end, as opposed to existing infinitely in both directions of time.

What are some criticisms of "The past hypothesis"?

One criticism of the past hypothesis is that it does not explain why the universe began in a low-entropy state. It simply assumes that it did. Another criticism is that it is difficult to test or prove, as it deals with events that occurred at the very beginning of the universe. Some theories, such as the cyclic model, propose alternative explanations for the low-entropy state of the universe.

How does "The past hypothesis" impact our understanding of the universe?

The past hypothesis is a key component of many theories and models of the universe, including the Big Bang theory. It helps us understand the direction of time and the origins of the universe. It also has implications for the ultimate fate of the universe, as a higher-entropy state could lead to a "heat death" or "big crunch" scenario. However, the past hypothesis is still a subject of ongoing research and debate in the scientific community.

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