The Xerographic Distribution: Scientific Reasoning in a Large Universe

Understand

As observers of the universe we are 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.
• 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.