Is it possible that we live in a multiverse?
What is the multiverse and does it even exist?
Some scientists believe that we live in a parallel universe that is closely related to our known observable universe. But this isn't just a wild idea that someone thought up. There is some science behind this idea. And while some physicists disregard the idea that a multiverse exists, there are others who believe that it is possible that we live in a parallel universe.
The idea that we live in a parallel universe isn't something that was created in a science-fiction movie as some might think. In 1954, a Princeton University grad student by the name of Hugh Everett came up with the idea that quantum effects caused the universe to constantly split. What this means is that everything you do and each action that you take creates new universes each one having a different set of circumstances and outcomes.
For example, let's say that you come to a crossroad where you can go either right or left. The present universe would give rise to two other universes where in one you decided to go left and in the other, you decided to go right. Evert developed the idea for his Ph.D. thesis and the theory held up. And according to his work, we are all living in a multiverse of countless universes with full copies of each one of us.
But the leading physicists of Everett's day, in particular, Niels Bohr, one of the fathers of quantum mechanics, couldn't stomach the idea that every decision we make creates new universes one for all possible outcomes. Evert ended up leaving physics and joined the Pentagon. His main job was to calculate how to maximize the death toll for the Soviets while minimizing it for the Americans by looking at the fallout. He ended up writing the first serious report on the devastating effects of nuclear war. It helped devise the concept of what is known as Mutually Assured Destruction or M.A.D. The acronym that appropriately sums up the insanity of starting a nuclear war.
What is interesting about this is that if Everett firmly believed in a multiverse, his actions help describe the horrors of nuclear war in this universe and this reduced the fraction of the multiverse that saw global nuclear war. It's tempting to speculate that these actions were influenced by his physics work but we'll never know.
The idea that a multiverse exists at all started with the Big Bang, an unknown trigger that caused the singularity to expand and inflate in three-dimensional space. As the immense energy of this expansion cooled, the light began to shine through because the observable universe extends only as far as light has had a chance to travel in 13.7 billion years. The space-time beyond that distance can be considered to be in its own separate universe. A multitude of universes could exist next to each other like a giant patchwork quilt. Space-time may stretch out to infinity and if so our universe is bound to repeat itself at some point.
The multiverse cannot be proven and it cannot be disproven either. However, if it does exist then, there could be thousands of copies of yourself, each one being different in some way or another. If the multiverse does exist, then, your actions would shape the course of not just your life but of the lives of your duplicates and other universes.
The parallel universe idea comes from the strength theory, in which there are universes just like ours that exist just out of reach of our own universe. There is the possibility of many more dimensions to our world than the three of space and one of time that we understand. In this theory, our three-dimensional universe exists in a larger super universe with nine spatial dimensions. The debate between scientists on these theories comes down to whether mathematics can be used as a tool for describing the universe or whether math itself is the fundamental reality. And our observations of the universe are just imperfect perceptions of its true mathematical nature. If the latter is true then perhaps, the particular mathematical structure that makes our universe isn't the only option, and in fact, all possible mathematical structures exist as their own separate universes.
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Recently, some evidence was found in space that could possibly point towards the existence of a multiverse. There is a cold spot in space that is 1.8 billion light-years across. This part of space is cooler than the rest of the surrounding space. This supervoid was thought to be cooler because it has less matter in it compared to other comparable sections of space. But now, it's believed that galaxies in this black void are clustered around smaller voids that populate the cold spot like bubbles.
One possible explanation is that the cold spot resulted from a collision between our universe and another universe. It is thought that the energy release of such an impact would have created this cold spot. There isn't solid proof of this yet. But a new map of this part of the universe might help scientists find out if this is the footprint of another universe. If data proves this to be the case, then, the cold spot might be taken as the first evidence for the multiverse and billions of other universes may exist like our own.
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Of course, if we are living in a multiverse, then, it wouldn't be so exciting as it might sound. The laws of physics would probably be different on one world and mathematics and quantum physics might not even exist on others. Just as there is an infinite number similar gets slightly different universes, there will also be an infinite number in which the basic laws of physics are different. Everything we think we know might just be applicable to our own world and what a letdown that might be.
The multiverse, while an exciting idea, has its detractors that aren't so exciting. Some scientists feel since it's not something observable or provable that it's pointless and even unscientific to bring it into the discussion. One issue is that in trying to understand our existence and how our universe was created, the ordinary and obvious solutions seemed to come up empty. However, as humans evolve and technology advances, we might end up with solid proof one day. The irony is that if there is a multiverse, scientists will have to accept that the ultimate goal of physics which is to explain why our universe is the way it is, could be through ever out of reach.
What do you think about the multiverse?
Do you think it exists?
Let us know in the comments below.
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