The Physics of Agency, Part 7: Branching Realities — Agency in the Multiverse
Series: Physics of Agency (Part 7 of 10)
Summary
Places Physics of Agency framework within Many-Worlds Interpretation (MWI): every quantum event splits reality into diverging branches, all possible outcomes realized somewhere.
Challenge: If all outcomes occur, does agency matter?
Answer: Yes! Agency doesn’t select one exclusive future—it influences measure (weight/thickness) of outcomes across branches.
Measure: Each branch carries measure (squared amplitude of wavefunction). Higher measure = greater presence of observers experiencing that branch.
Agency Shapes Measure: Intentional actions redistribute measure among possibilities:
- Model-driven actions increase measure of preferred outcomes
- Passive drift spreads measure thinly/randomly
When you create predictive models, anticipate outcomes, and act intentionally, you engage environmental variables shaping branching measure. Kybits don’t remove possibilities—they redistribute measure among them.
Key Insight: In deterministic multiverse, meaning found in measure. Agency = influencing flow toward particular futures. You don’t control what exists; you control which outcomes flourish.
Philosophical Implication: Agency matters because intentional actions selectively amplify certain futures, shaping landscape of your existence across multiverse.
Tags
Cross-References
- Backward: The Physics of Agency, Part 6: The Law of Agency Limits — Perfect Control Is Impossible
- Forward: The Physics of Agency, Part 8: Meaning, Ethics, and Evolution Under the Physics of Agency
- Related: Many-Worlds Interpretation (Everett) [external]
- Related: Born rule (quantum probabilities)
- Related: The Quantum Branching Universe (QBU)
Notes
- Core axionic claim: agency shapes measure distribution
- Resolves free will problem: choices matter even if all outcomes occur
- Foundation for later quantum ethics, decision theory work
- “Flourishing” concept introduced (recurs in ethics)