Many worlds is an interesting interpretation of quantum mechanics, and my favorite one.

I was wondering if this interpretation could add to the false vacuum discussion.

The mass of the Top quark and Higgs particle indicate that the vacuum in our universe may only be metastable, being able to decay to a lower energy vacuum given enough time. If this happens, the new vacuum would propagate at the speed of light destroying the universe as we know it.

Currently, it is estimated that the chances of our universal destruction are low (but this estimate has an error). This is an explanation given as to why we are still here, despite the vacuum not being stable.

However, doesn't the many worlds interpretation offer an alternative explanation? Vacuum decay would split the wave function. We would never perceive the branch of the wave function where the universe is destroyed. The overall effect is that we would measure the false vacuum to be stable. In short, this would be a universal game of quantum suicide.

Alternatively, if improved estimates increase the false vacuum decay rate to where we *should* have observed it (in a single universe interpretations of QM), wouldn't that be experimental support for many worlds?

Also, vacuum decay could be a way to recycle branches of the wave function should Hilbert space be finite (provided the new vacuum is very simple).

Cheers.