  Quantum mechanics is 'emergent' if a statistical treatment of large scale
phenomena in a locally deterministic theory requires the use of quantum
operators. These quantum operators may allow for symmetry transformations that
are not present in the underlying deterministic system. Such theories allow for
a natural explanation of the existence of gauge equivalence classes (gauge
orbits), including the equivalence classes generated by general coordinate
transformations. Thus, local gauge symmetries and general coordinate invariance
could be emergent symmetries, and this might lead to new alleys towards
understanding the flatness problem of the Universe.
