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The Open Future and Its Exploitation by Rational Agents

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Around the Tree

Part of the book series: Synthese Library ((SYLI,volume 361))

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Abstract

Branching along the time dimension provides a dynamic, four-dimensional, treelike space-time structure that explains many features of the physical world. The list includes temporal asymmetry and directionality, time flow and the existence of “now,” physical versus logical possibility, the openness of the future, quantum probabilities, and superpositional collapse. This chapter discusses these and how agents use the open future in order to act intelligently and rationally.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    McCall (1994) contains a detailed account of the branching space-time model discussed here. Belnap (1992) and Belnap et al. (2001) introduce a similar model, the details of which differ from McCall’s. The two models bear only a superficial resemblance to the Everett-Wheeler many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

  2. 2.

    For an account of how branch attrition in the model corresponds to the flow of time, see McCall (1976, 1984, 1994, 1997).

  3. 3.

    Concerning the concepts of physical possibility and physical necessity, see McCall (1969).

  4. 4.

    Decenary trees are described in McCall (1994), pp. 88–92.

  5. 5.

    See McCall (1995b, 2000a, b).

  6. 6.

    McCall (1987, 1999, 2008) and McCall and Lowe (2005).

  7. 7.

    Branching space-time does in fact allow for particular instances of 100% determinism, in cases where all the branches above an A node are B branches. For example, in all instances where the two ends of a copper wire are connected to a battery, current flows in the wire.

  8. 8.

    McCall (2009), pp. 146–48 and McCall (forthcoming).

References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2T7, Canada

    Storrs McCall

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  1. Storrs McCall
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Correspondence to Storrs McCall .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Philosophy, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Fabrice Correia

  2. Humanities, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    Andrea Iacona

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McCall, S. (2013). The Open Future and Its Exploitation by Rational Agents. In: Correia, F., Iacona, A. (eds) Around the Tree. Synthese Library, vol 361. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5167-5_6

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