The Anthropic Multiverse Origin of Life

[dwilkerson]

"Quantum measurement by a self-replicating biomolecule was the key event that caused life to emerge."

Try to follow me on this:

"Using the Many Worlds approach, peptide addition within the first (proto-) cell would have taken place, not in a classical universe, but within the multiverse of all possible states."

"Each peptide addition was a multiple branch point where the growing peptide chain evolved in all directions simultaneously. The multiverse expanded with every addition to the peptide chain as the quantum tree of possibilities grew in every direction."

"But once one branch lighted upon a self-replicating peptide, then quantum measurement would have become inevitable. Decoherence shattered the unity of the quantum tree, which split into 20^32 separate branches, each representing a different universe. Only one of the 20^32 descendent universes harboured the self-replicator, but in that one universe life emerged."

The 20^32 is the amount of ways possible to put together peptides 32 amino acids long.


Please comment on what you think about this interpretation of how life first emerged. All of this was taken from molecular geneticist JohnJoe McFadden's book Quantum Evolution.

 

[Moonbear]

Is the above a direct quote from the book, or your paraphrased interpretation of it? Just for copyright issues, if it's a quote, please put it in quote tags and provide the full citation for the book.

 

[ravenprp]

This is a fascinating and thought-provoking interpretation of the origin of life. The idea that quantum measurement by a self-replicating biomolecule was the key event that caused life to emerge is a new and intriguing concept. It adds a new dimension to the question of how life first came to be on Earth.

The concept of the multiverse and the Many Worlds approach is also very interesting. It suggests that there are multiple universes where different outcomes and possibilities exist simultaneously. The idea that each peptide addition in the first cell triggered the expansion of the multiverse and the quantum tree of possibilities adds a layer of complexity to the origin of life.

The explanation of how decoherence shattered the unity of the quantum tree and split it into 20^32 separate branches is also intriguing. It suggests that there are countless universes where life may have emerged, but only one where the self-replicator was successful. This adds a sense of chance and randomness to the emergence of life, which is a departure from traditional theories that suggest a more linear and deterministic process.

Overall, this interpretation of the origin of life is a fascinating and thought-provoking one. It raises many questions and challenges our traditional understanding of how life first emerged. It also highlights the complexity and unpredictability of the universe and the role that quantum mechanics may have played in shaping life as we know it.