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A dream is a totally incoherent result of random fluctuations, but it seems real and coherent until you wake up. A Boltzmann brain only exists for a very short

A dream is a totally incoherent result of random fluctuations, but it seems real and coherent until you wake up. A Boltzmann brain only exists for a very short period of time — on that small of a timescale, your existence is really just a single instantaneous snapshot of a state of mind, and there’s no time to recall a sequence of memories or think through logical propositions. Even though existence feels coherent, that feeling would be just a false memory.

glenstein 7y ago
I would disagree that a dream is 'totally' incoherent or truly random, and I don't think it's necessarily inevitable that existence would feel coherent, which I take to be GP's point. There's a wide swath of possible sets of memories I could be given. Some coherent and belonging to a self. Some that seem to but that, given sufficient relfection, would turn out not to be, as when you wake up from a dream, and then some that, even when lucidly regarded in the moment appear to be nonsensical on their face. Of this range of possibilities, ones giving you a seemingly coherent and ordered timeline of experiences, or one that is disordered but close enough to order that it can be readily can be interpreted as ordered, would appear to be more improbable. >on that small of a timescale, your existence is really just a single instantaneous snapshot of a state of mind, and there’s no time to recall a sequence of memories or think through logical propositions. I think this is very true. Even being around long enough to pose the question to yourself gives you reasonably strong confidence that you've 'tested out' of being a boltzman brain. Though I think that consideration is being momentarily set aside for purposes of this variant of the thought experiment.
misterman0 7y ago
>> there’s no time to recall Why do you think that? A Boltzmann brain will immediately start to degrade but that does not mean there is zero time for thought. If I were a Boltzmann brain, I would spend most if not all of my existence dwelling, contemplating, ruminating over the things that took me to my current point in space and time. Then I would quickly type something up and post it on a forum to confirm that I
- lonelappde 7y ago
  How long could you think for if you were dumped in the vacuum of space?

glenstein 7y ago

I would disagree that a dream is 'totally' incoherent or truly random, and I don't think it's necessarily inevitable that existence would feel coherent, which I take to be GP's point. There's a wide swath of possible sets of memories I could be given. Some coherent and belonging to a self. Some that seem to but that, given sufficient relfection, would turn out not to be, as when you wake up from a dream, and then some that, even when lucidly regarded in the moment appear to be nonsensical on their face. Of this range of possibilities, ones giving you a seemingly coherent and ordered timeline of experiences, or one that is disordered but close enough to order that it can be readily can be interpreted as ordered, would appear to be more improbable. >on that small of a timescale, your existence is really just a single instantaneous snapshot of a state of mind, and there’s no time to recall a sequence of memories or think through logical propositions. I think this is very true. Even being around long enough to pose the question to yourself gives you reasonably strong confidence that you've 'tested out' of being a boltzman brain. Though I think that consideration is being momentarily set aside for purposes of this variant of the thought experiment.

misterman0 7y ago

>> there’s no time to recall Why do you think that? A Boltzmann brain will immediately start to degrade but that does not mean there is zero time for thought. If I were a Boltzmann brain, I would spend most if not all of my existence dwelling, contemplating, ruminating over the things that took me to my current point in space and time. Then I would quickly type something up and post it on a forum to confirm that I

lonelappde 7y ago
How long could you think for if you were dumped in the vacuum of space?