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Boltzmann Brains: A physics thought experiment on cosmic order

The concept of Boltzmann brains, first proposed by Ignaz Robert Schütz and later published by Ludwig Boltzmann, suggests that our universe's order could arise from random fluctuations in a state of thermal equilibrium. However, this idea faces significant objections, notably from Arthur Eddington and Richard Feynman, who argue that smaller ordered systems would vastly outnumber larger ones like our universe if order arose purely by chance. If Boltzmann brains are the most probable outcome of random fluctuations, then our own ordered experience would be extraordinarily unlikely, providing evidence against theories that predict an eternal universe leading to such fluctuations. AI

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RANK_REASON The cluster discusses a physics thought experiment and its objections, not a new release or event.

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  1. LessWrong (AI tag) TIER_1 · Eliezer Yudkowsky ·

    A relatively brief explanation of Boltzmann Brains

    <p><i><span>(Initially written for the LW Wiki, but then I realized it was looking more like a post instead.)</span></i></p><p><span>In 1895, the physicist Ignaz Robert Schütz, who worked as an assistant to the more eminent physicist Ludwig Boltzmann, wondered if our observed uni…