Boltzmann Brains: NY Times Article Explained

[MarkeD]

Hi guys - long time lurker.

I just wanted the esteemed members of this forum's thoughts on an article in the NY Times about Boltzmann Brains which I found very interesting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/science/15brain.html"

I think the general gist of it is that a Universe is so vast and complex that it is actually easier for random fluctuations to form Boltzmann Brains imagining the universe than to create a Universe from scratch.

Anyhow check out the article its an interesting read nevertheless if you haven't heard of them before.

 

[cesiumfrog]

My hypothesis is: Complex sentient brains are a fairly probable result from the inevitable natural evolution of any simple life-forms. The universe is relatively teeming with planets on which life could potential evolve. Random fluctuations are far far less likely to produce a complete Boltzmann Brain than a single primitive living cell. Therefore, I am unlikely to be a BB.

 

[MarkeD]

I agree with you on the chance of planets being around - I anticipate this year will be the first discovery of an Earth like planet now they have fine tuned the resolution of such searches.

But I'm not so sure on the chances of biogenesis on those planets and whether those chances are significantly smaller than a BB forming, we are up to now wondering where everyone else is if biogenesis is so common.

If we take the cosmological principle that we are not in a special part of the universe, we can at least conclude that human like intelligence is a rare event. So rare that a BB is more probable?

Even if not, that still leaves the fundamental problem - a universe teeming with primitive living cells that can potentially become self aware is even more complex that a universe where life is rare - the chances a BB forms becomes relatively more likely than creating a Universe, the more complicated the Universe is.