Eternal inflation: when probabilities fail

被引:0
|
作者
John D. Norton
机构
[1] University of Pittsburgh,Department of History and Philosophy of Science
来源
Synthese | 2021年 / 198卷
关键词
Cosmology; Eternal inflation; Inductive logic; Probability;
D O I
暂无
中图分类号
学科分类号
摘要
In eternally inflating cosmology, infinitely many pocket universes are seeded. Attempts to show that universes like our observable universe are probable amongst them have failed, since no unique probability measure is recoverable. This lack of definite probabilities is taken to reveal a complete predictive failure. Inductive inference over the pocket universes, it would seem, is impossible. I argue that this conclusion of impossibility mistakes the nature of the problem. It confuses the case in which no inductive inference is possible, with another in which a weaker inductive logic applies. The alternative, applicable inductive logic is determined by background conditions and is the same, non-probabilistic logic as applies to an infinite lottery. This inductive logic does not preclude all predictions, but does affirm that predictions useful to deciding for or against eternal inflation are precluded.
引用
收藏
页码:3853 / 3875
页数:22
相关论文
共 50 条
  • [1] Eternal inflation: when probabilities fail
    Norton, John D.
    [J]. SYNTHESE, 2021, 198 (SUPPL 16) : 3853 - 3875
  • [2] Holographic probabilities in eternal inflation
    Bousso, Raphael
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 2006, 97 (19)
  • [3] Prescription for probabilities in eternal inflation
    Garriga, J
    Vilenkin, A
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW D, 2001, 64 (02):
  • [4] Inflation and eternal inflation
    Guth, AH
    [J]. PHYSICS REPORTS-REVIEW SECTION OF PHYSICS LETTERS, 2000, 333 (1-6): : 555 - 574
  • [5] When Inflation-Protection Assets Fail to Protect
    Hu, Gang
    Tzucker, Robert
    Sooben, Khrishnamoorthy
    [J]. JOURNAL OF PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT, 2024, 50 (09): : 142 - 150
  • [6] Eternal inflation
    Guth, AH
    [J]. COSMIC QUESTIONS, 2001, 950 : 66 - 82
  • [7] The end of eternal inflation
    Mersini-Houghton, Laura
    Perry, Malcolm J.
    [J]. CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM GRAVITY, 2014, 31 (16)
  • [8] Is brane inflation eternal?
    Chen, Xingang
    Sarangi, Sash
    Tye, S-H Henry
    Xu, Jiajun
    [J]. JOURNAL OF COSMOLOGY AND ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS, 2006, (11):
  • [9] A tail of eternal inflation
    Cohen, Timothy
    Green, Daniel
    Premkumar, Akhil
    [J]. SCIPOST PHYSICS, 2023, 14 (05):
  • [10] Eternal hilltop inflation
    Barenboim, Gabriela
    Park, Wan-il
    Kinney, William H.
    [J]. JOURNAL OF COSMOLOGY AND ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS, 2016, (05):