Can Many-Worlds Survive a Quantum Doomsday?

A novel puzzle for the notion of probability in the Many-Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics is presented. The puzzle makes use of a thought experiment that some have claimed would provide empirical support for many-worlds over alternatives. It is argued that, if the predictions of Many-Worlds do indeed differ from other inter-pretations as claimed, then Born’s rule must generally be invalid in Many-Worlds. It is shown that the thought experiment provides a counter example for recent decision-theoretic arguments that purport to establish Born’s rule. Finally, it is shown that the puzzle can be grounded in general considerations regarding the nature of prediction in Many-Worlds. The Many-Worlds interpretation (MW) of quantum mechanics is routinely mentioned alongside various hidden-variable, collapse and modal formulations as a proposed solution to the quantum measurement problem. The MW is unique among these alternatives, how-ever, for the fact that there is serious contention over what predictions the theory makes. Though Hugh Everett III is credited with first proposing a many-worlds interpretation