If there were 2 options, mathematical realities like this one, and realities of total chaos, the argument would work. Evolution can’t happen in total chaos.
But, this anthropic argument is talking about the evolution of intelligence.
For intelligence to evolve, there must be patterns that can be spotted by the unusually smart caveman, but not by the dumber cavemen. And knowledge of these patterns must increase evolutionary fitness. Sometimes these patterns will be how stones chip into flint axes. Often they will be the behavior of other members of the tribe.
The unusually smart caveman isn’t deducing all existence from the first principles of quantum field theory.
Thus the evolutionary anthropic arguments can’t distinguish between.
There are some subtle effects that only appear at very high speeds. (Ie, unobservable to the caveman). These effects can be understood as a beautifully simple system of 4-vectors.
There are some subtle effects that only appear at very high speeds. These effects are totally ad hoc, and have no compact mathematical description. Moving near the speed of light makes apples ripen faster, oranges ripen slower, and bananas turn purple. Looking for a deep consistent mathematical pattern, there isn’t one.
For examples of environments where intelligence is useful, consider.
Basically any fantasy magic system.
How humans used to think reality worked.
Most computer games. If you take the minecraft source code as the fundamental laws of physics, it’s a lot more ad hoc than real physics. But intelligence is still useful.
I think that the anthropic argument fails.
If there were 2 options, mathematical realities like this one, and realities of total chaos, the argument would work. Evolution can’t happen in total chaos.
But, this anthropic argument is talking about the evolution of intelligence.
For intelligence to evolve, there must be patterns that can be spotted by the unusually smart caveman, but not by the dumber cavemen. And knowledge of these patterns must increase evolutionary fitness. Sometimes these patterns will be how stones chip into flint axes. Often they will be the behavior of other members of the tribe.
The unusually smart caveman isn’t deducing all existence from the first principles of quantum field theory.
Thus the evolutionary anthropic arguments can’t distinguish between.
There are some subtle effects that only appear at very high speeds. (Ie, unobservable to the caveman). These effects can be understood as a beautifully simple system of 4-vectors.
There are some subtle effects that only appear at very high speeds. These effects are totally ad hoc, and have no compact mathematical description. Moving near the speed of light makes apples ripen faster, oranges ripen slower, and bananas turn purple. Looking for a deep consistent mathematical pattern, there isn’t one.
For examples of environments where intelligence is useful, consider.
Basically any fantasy magic system.
How humans used to think reality worked.
Most computer games. If you take the minecraft source code as the fundamental laws of physics, it’s a lot more ad hoc than real physics. But intelligence is still useful.
I think you’re assuming the filters are way later than where I think it is!