David Deutsch - The fabric of reality. -------------------------------------- Subject: An awesome book with an optimistic world view. Combining quantum physics, the theory of knowledge (Karl Popper), computation and evolution David Deutsch arrives at a world view that is optimistic and points the way to things to come in the next century. A time were one person can once again understand everything that is known, according to Deutsch. Surely, We might not experience reality but rather some elaborate Virtual Reality show in our minds, still we can construct impressive models of the universe. By looking at photons David Deutsch arrives at the remarkable theory of the multiverse. I guess most people wouldn't agree that the existence of parallel universes can be detected from experiments like the two-slit light experiment. Also, I guess that most people would think that the multiverse theory should be consigned to the room of scientific oddities. Still, I rather enjoy the theory and how Deutsch plays arond with it! In the multiverse other times are just special cases of other universes. So, travelling "back" in time doesn't create a paradox. One might meet historical persons and interact with them (in another universe), but such universe will not evolve into the universe we know - so no paradox. Out there in the mindblowing array of parallel universes, that make up the multiverse, Virtual Reality generators of increasing sophistication exists. Including some that can mimic any part of the multiverse. If reality was not slippery before, certainly it is after reading this book! The grand finale is Frank Tiplers Omega Point Theory, where extreme cosmological scenarios makes settings possible where one can perform unlimited computations in a limited time. Beings here might resurrect the dead (us) in Virtual Reality renderings for their own amusement - Or they might embark upon the solution of tremendous problems creating still more awesome scenarios. The book seems to be saying, that somewhere out there in the multiverse, someone will necessarily succeed in making a Omega Point spacetime. Awesome perspectives in an awesome book. May 11th 2002 -Simon Laub