Journal articleprimarysupportsVerified

Disturbing Implications of a Cosmological Constant

Lisa Dyson, Matthew Kleban, Leonard Susskind · 2002 · Journal of High Energy Physics, 2002(10), 011

Spiritual Evidence Map/Last updated May 10, 2026/Claims v1.0.0-provisional/Sources v1.0.0/Scores provisional

Summary

Argues that if the universe has a small positive cosmological constant and approaches an eternal de Sitter phase, holographic / Poincaré-recurrence considerations imply that ordered structures and observers should typically arise from rare fluctuations rather than from a low-entropy beginning.

Why it matters here

The paper that reignited modern interest in the Boltzmann-brain problem by linking it directly to the accelerating expansion of our universe.

Linked claims

Evidence score 1/10

Boltzmann brains

In a long-lived, accelerating universe, random thermal fluctuations could spontaneously assemble a self-aware brain with false memories of a coherent life. Several modern cosmological models appear to predict such observers should statistically dominate — which is widely treated as a reason those models are wrong, not as evidence about you.

Related evidence hubs

Topic hub

Reality & Time

Physics-adjacent worldviews — block universe, many-worlds, simulation, free will.

Evidence pillar

Physics-adjacent worldview theories

Many-worlds, simulation, mathematical universe.

Evidence pillar

Skeptical frameworks

Cryptomnesia, anoxia models, cold reading. Counter-anchors.