Time, Not Cloning

David Duffy · 30 Jul 2013, 03:17 · from 2013-July.txt.gz

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From: David.Duffy at qimr.edu.au (David Duffy)
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 13:17:53 +1000
Subject: (urth) Time, Not Cloning
In-Reply-To: <20130729160149.22602.qmail at server281.com>
References: <20130729135412.1764.qmail at server281.com><c9e2349328bf7fe0dab8e17ca7da664d.squirrel at webmail.prismnet.com>
	<20130729160149.22602.qmail at server281.com>
Message-ID: <alpine.LMD.2.00.1307301259100.14282 at orpheus.qimr.edu.au>

On Tue, 30 Jul 2013, Brian wrote:

> I don't honestly know how time would work for the Yesodis.  I'm 
> imagining a situation where you are in your "prime" timeline when 
> Severian dies on you. So you get a replacement from a thread where he 
> hasn't died.  Why not switch yourself to that thread?

It's possible Wolfe was recalling the model in Blish's _Jack of Eagles_, 
where the "single" main timeline we perceive which is actually a 
superposition dominated by the most likely histories. So it's not quite 
what I think of as a "full" many worlds where all outcomes are equally 
real, and any actions you perform are reversed in the other branch.

MINOR SPOILER

Like Master Ash, there is one episode where a component timeline fades as 
its probability falls, as a result of actions of the protagonist that 
cause the whole ensemble to shift in his favoured direction.

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