One wacky theory that I have is that of MHPSE (Multi-Human Provoked Solution Emergence) which states that the universe is designed so that problems can only be solved by cooperation between people. This could be a property of the universe at large, whereby a solution is generated through cooperation, or simply a property of the human mind, whereby solutions are not perceived unless cooperation exists.
I suspect that MHPSE (somebody give me a better acronym!) works on the same principles as quantum consciousness and quantum emergence(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness_causes_collapse). Why? I noticed this phenomenon most frequently when I was working in Information Technology. You’ve probably experienced this effect yourself: Ask For Help and the Solution Appears (AFHATSA) Quite frequently (daily) a user would get stuck on some bug or tricky piece of programming, or a machine would just behave strangely. The user could pound their head against the keyboard for hours trying to figure it out, but invariably, there were many times that, as soon as they asked for help, the solution quickly appeared to them, or the problem just went away.
This makes a lot of sense if the phenomenon is quantum mechanical, because computers would by their nature be much more susceptible to quantum mechanical manipulation, than say a flat tire. Two quantum minds collaborating aren’t likely to fill the tire with air, but they can tweak the electrons in a computer to present a solution.
However, this effect does present itself frequently, if not more subtlety in the real world. I usually experience it when I’m either mulling over a personal problem, or looking for someone. Often, when I’m looking for someone, I can search and search, but as soon as I ask someone “hey, I’m looking for Bob, have you seen him,” they’ll say “yeah, he’s right there.”
Ok, so perhaps I’m stretching things here and trying to prove a general theory from a specific example. But I have seen a lot of personal evidence that the universe is wired to provide positive feedback for human collaboration. Or maybe we just perceive it that way because we are social animals…