Abstract:The paper discusses recent proposals by Carroll and Chen, as well as Barbour, Koslowski, and Mercati to explain the (thermodynamic) arrow of time without a Past Hypothesis, i.e. the assumption of a special (low-entropy) initial state of the universe. After discussing the role of the Past Hypothesis and the controversy about its status, we explain why Carroll's model -which establishes an arrow of time as typical -can ground sensible predictions and retrodictions without assuming something akin to a Past Hypoth… Show more
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