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Cited by 21Space Science and Extraterrestrial LifeCosmology and Gravitation TheoriesEpistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics

Conflict between Anthropic Reasoning and Observation

Olum, K. D.·2004·Analysis
DOI 10.1093/analys/64.1.1
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Abstract

Anthropic reasoning often begins with the premise that we should expect to find ourselves typical among all intelligent observers. However, in the infinite universe predicted by inflation, there are some civilizations which have spread across their galaxies and contain huge numbers of individuals. Unless the proportion of such large civilizations is unreasonably tiny, most observers belong to them. Thus anthropic reasoning predicts that we should find ourselves in such a large civilization, while in fact we do not. There must be an important flaw in our understanding of the structure of the universe and the range of development of civilizations, or in the process of anthropic reasoning.

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Crossref · 10.1093/analys/64.1.1

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  • The argument of Olum (2004) is closely related.

    “The argument of Olum (2004) is closely related.”

    From Multiple Universes and Self-Locating Evidence (2022) · cites this paper as Olum (2004)

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Authors
Olum, K. D.
Affiliations
Tufts University (US)
Corresponding author
Olum, K. D.
ORCID
Olum, K. D.
Venue
Analysis
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2004-01-01
Volume
64
Issue
1
Pages
1-8
ISSN
  • 0003-2638 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-8284
DOI
10.1093/analys/64.1.1
OpenAlex
W2951743687
Cited by
21
References
0
Citations by year
2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2019: 11
FWCI
0.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Analysis (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics
Keywords
anthropic reasoning, anthropic principle, inflationary universe, observer selection, typicality, cosmology, philosophy of physics

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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

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