Well, I do see Many Worlds as *equivalent to* a God theory. But I wish that you would stop implying that I'm saying something *is* a God theory. I absolutely am NOT saying that your speculation or Many Worlds or Multiverse *is* a God theory. I'm saying that once you propose something 'outside of this universe', then it is no different, in principle, from proposing a God theory. If you can't test it, then it's just a speculation.
You Brian, at least have the hope that you can 'reverse-engineer' the phenomenon. Although I believe this is impossible, I haven't proved it. Many Worlds is just an interpretation, with no hope of proof or falsification. It's just a 'choice of religion'; I don't see it as physics.
And as for "... physicalism has had 100 years to explain why quantum theory works and it just has the Copenhagen view that meaning doesn't matter. There has also been plenty of time to find Einsteins hidden variables. So how long should the traditional approach be given, another 100yrs?"
That seems reasonable on the face of it, but there are two points to consider. If [and it's a big if] my theory of particle plus local pilot wave is correct, then it's understandable that the 'hidden variable' has not yet been found. And if Joy Christian is correct [see my other comment and link] then for almost fifty years John Bell's incorrect value of 2 versus the correct value of 2*sqrt(2) has led to the so-called 'violation of Bell's inequality', which is the basis of all the 'spooky' and 'weird' arguments that have come to dominate physics.
I cannot too strongly recommend that everyone check out Joy Christian's article here. I believe it is seminal and will end up with EPR as historic.
Joy demolishes non-locality and non-realism, the basis of your VR speculation, and I don't think it wise to ignore him. The fact that physics has for fifty years been misled by Bell's incorrect answer and consequent 'violation' of locality and reality does not mean things must continue in this way, although there is a strong 'industry' in place based on Bell's mistakes.
This insight is the purpose that fqxi exists. As for those who simply think "there's no way Bell's inequality can simply be overthrown at this stage of the game" all I can say is 'things change'. Fifty years is a long time, but things change. After fifty years of the US govt grabbing ever more power, the recent judgment that Obamacare is unconstitutional may turn things around. Of course, both Joy's work and that ruling are yet to be cast in stone, but my point is, major mistakes can be corrected, no matter how unlikely it seems.
And your conjecture, unless you can reverse-engineer VR, is *equivalent* to a conjecture about God, or any other mystical explanation 'out there' for things in our universe.
Rita's remarks about your 'Evidence' is on-target. I think that Tom overstates the case when he claims that you have "a strictly objective definition".
And, although I think several of your 10 points of Evidence are mistaken, without non-locality, VR falls to pieces.
It's rather astonishing that fifty years of Bell's mistake has led us to the consideration of VR as if it were a theory of physics.
Still, you've done an excellent job on your essay. Congratulations.
Edwin Eugene Klingman