Warp wrote:
>   A "superuniverse" hypothesis is most probably not testable for the
> very reason that we are completely bound to the laws and geometry of
> our own Universe. We have no way to reach the "outside" (because there
> is no "outside" as far as this Universe is concerned, because we are
> bound to its internal geometry, which knows no "outside").

I'm not sure this follows, given that it's possible for the superuniverse to 
affect this universe.  We don't have to reach out to run experiments, if we 
can observe what's happening.  And I can demonstrate this with an example:

Let's say the superuniverse exists, and not only that, our universe was 
specifically created and controlled by a being there whom we will call God 
for want of a better name.  Think of our universe as a giant (deterministic) 
game of The Sims for God.

Interestingly, this give all kinds of attributes to "God" that are usually 
discussed in earth religions nowadays: Created the universe. Omnipotent, by 
the simple expedient that he can modify any bit of the code to make it do 
what he wants, or change data structures with a debugger, etc. Omniscient, 
by the simple expedient of checkpointing the simulation, letting it run, and 
seeing what happens, then winding it back again. Capricious, possibly. 
Interested in humans, likely, unless God is only interested in some other 
bunch of aliens. Desiring of worship, perhaps, if that's how he gets his 
rocks off. Probably still not infinitely loving and caring, but I'm pretty 
sure last I looked that only Christians think of God that way.

Certainly if such a supernatural being exists, it might be easy for him to 
simply reveal such a fact to everyone in unarguable ways, definitively 
answering whether there is such a thing as "supernatural", even beyond the 
ability of alien technology, such as altering fundamental physical 
constants, predicting the results of quantum events, moving things around 
faster than light, etc.


Of course, then, the next question becomes whether, if so revealed, the 
supernatural becomes part of our universe and hence natural. At that point, 
it's a semantic argument.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   Serving Suggestion:
     "Don't serve this any more. It's awful."

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