The only difference between the first option and the response is that the response posits that all possible timelines exist in advance and rather than generating a new timeline with your decisions, you simply navigate to the one that represents them. It’s a distinction without meaning, especially because the first option doesn’t strictly specify whether the timelines existed in advance or not. It simply says “you branch off into another timeline” with no requirement that it be one generated as a result of your actions.
The second option is called “closed loop” or Novikov self-consistency and specifically requires that the outcomes of your choices align with the past already as defined, simply in ways you did not know. It’s what they use in 12 Monkeys and the 3rd Harry Potter book, and it limits free choice, unlike the first option and what the above poster’s response stated.
I think what you’re doing is combining closed-loop and multiverse theories to say that the multiverse theory IS closed-loop simply because the multiverses existed in advance, whereas closed-loop is intrinsically single universe/timeline.
It’s just the first one, only specifically a version where all timelines exist and you simply navigate them. I can see how it might feel like the second one because the timelines already exist, but from one’s subjective viewpoint it’s #1.
I had a lit professor once who would do oral quizzes on the reading but anyone with half a brain could get literally 140% on them without doing the reading since he’d also give extra credit questions.
The first time through the quiz one day, he asked something like “Who killed Achilles? A: Paris. B: London. C: Berlin.” Then later, when repeating the question, he said “A: Paris. B: Berlin. C: London.” Process of elimination.
I’m not even kidding about the city names.
On top of that, even if he didn’t give it away in the question, you just had to wait until he read off an answer and suddenly the entire class started writing. Dead giveaway.
The separatists have launched a blistering attack against the loyalists, SLAMMING several of their sound bites in response to last night’s tactical DRAGGING of their policies. Experts fear this conflict may escalate to BLASTING, but separatist negotiators have confidence an accord can be reached where both parties simply continue to grow disgustingly rich and powerful by exploiting the ignorance and inherent oligarchic weakness of the lower and middle classes.
Guarantee he hasn’t realized shit. In his mind, it was the best idea in the world when he had it, and now it’s the best idea in the world to walk it back. He’s so brilliant, he was right twice about the same thing.
Whoever wrote this headline hasn’t met a true narcissist.
I appreciate the nuance. I suspect it still puts doctors on a difficult position though, when patients can basically go to their physician and demand that they poison them.