Science in a Very Large Universe

Abstract

As observers of the universe we are quantum physical systems within it. If the universe is very large in space and/or time, the probability becomes significant that the data on which we base predictions is replicated at other locations in spacetime. The physical conditions at these locations that are not specified by the data may differ. Predictions of our future observations therefore require an assumed probability distribution (the xerographic distribution) for our location among the possible ones. It is the combination of basic theory plus the xerographic distribution that can be predictive and testable by further observations.