Do you believe in Multiverse theory?
Oh ... so that's how this game is played ...
There is no empirical evidence to support any claim for the existence of more than one universe. By this, I mean that there is no valid record of ever having detected, examined, accessed, explored, colonized, traded with, or conquered any alternate realm of existence.
Those who claim otherwise have yet to provide evidence of their claims, because it is up to the claimant to provide their own supporting evidence. Besides which, absence of evidence, while not evidence of absence, is sufficient cause for reasonable doubt, and the complete absence of empirical evidence for the existence of any universe other than our own makes any claim for a "multiverse" exceptionally doubtful. Even those who claim expertise in quantum physics use their versions of the "multiverse" concept as mere tools to explain conflicts in their mathematical models of how the universe operates at the quantum level.
(Yes Ruve, I know that I'm no QM/QT expert, but I do know this much.)
Even if "Lots of people" believe that at least one universe exists outside of our universe, neither the strength of the belief nor the popularity of that belief can validate the belief itself.
Of course, I could be wrong (but that does not mean that I am wrong), so if anyone can open a portal into an alternate universe and allow me to pass through, look around, and come back safely, then I will believe. Otherwise, this topic seems to be more appropriate for the "Speculative Fiction" forum, and not even considered a possible topic of serious theoretical or hypothetical discourse.
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Joker
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I sincerely doubt that in a multiverse there are multiple "you's". Say your parents were maybe less popular there. They go out with a different group of friends on the night they met here, they never meet and you're never born.
Say a pretty lady walking down the street goes left instead of right, in our left turning universe, she causes an accident as she bends down to pet a kitten. In the right turning universe, no kitten over to the right, no petting, no accident.
Endless permutations like that would quickly unravel any parallels of a multiverse.

I agree. I do not accept the many-worlds hypothesis for lack of empirical evidence, but I find the idea extremely amusing. It is also a steady source of alternate time line stories.
The first one such that I read was -Bring the Jubilee- by Ward Moore where in the Confederacy won the War Between the States.
ruveyn
Endless permutations like that would quickly unravel any parallels of a multiverse.
Not really. Each and every quantum effect splits off a pair of universes. That results in a rather large, but still finite number of universes.
_________________
"Striking up conversations with strangers is an autistic person's version of extreme sports." Kamran Nazeer
Personally I do not know if I believe in multiple universes. I just am not sure. It is quite possible that there are, it is just something I have not looked into very much. On the other hand I do have a very basic understanding of the behavior of subatomic wave/particle properties. I believe that gravity is a emergent property of strong force and weak force, in the same way that "solidity" of our environment is an emergent property of electromagnetic force aka electroweak force. Every sense and experience we have is an "illusion" based on the interactions of wave/particles. The fact that we do not fall through the floor is because of the electromagnetic forces of our mass of particles and the floors mass of particles. There is plenty, even much more then enough, space between the atoms that we should by all means fall right through the floor and yet we do not. The strong and weak forces that interact with and or on the gluons and quarks of the protons and neutrons of the nucleus hold each to each other, the farther the sub-particles get from each other the stronger the force becomes there by pulling the sub-particle with more intensity. this must only act in a determinant area, once the area is breached the force is "broken" or the interaction with the other forces such as the electromagnetic force between the protons and neutrons dominates it the particle can "escape". Perhaps this force is strengthened by the shear number of interacting particles in a massive object such as a planet or star or even the mass of a human (all things have there own gravitational field that is in relation to the mass of the object). In or when you compare the properties of gravity it is quite similar to the properties of strong and weak force. Albeit in the same way that water molecules has the same properties as an ocean. (look at it on the atomic vs macro scale in the way that hydrogen bonds react the same in both or like a lego has the same properties of a building of legos) This simplifies things and usually the simplest answer is the right answer. How this correlates to multiple universes is that it may point to a different way of thinking of things such as dark matter and black holes.
Albert Einstein, Paul Dirac, Murray Gell-Mann, George Zweig, Sheldon Gladshow, Adbus Salam, Steven Weinberg. Just to name a few of the people who have done research and work in these areas.
I think that another thought process that is important would be that as atoms become individualized and lose the elemental properties (separating down to the smallest possible denominator as far as protons neutrons and electron and the other partials that interact) as in expansion the "element" would become a low energy "gas" in which case it would lose volume as long as the particles are kept at a distance that eliminates interaction this would create perfect conditions for a "gravitational" force that supersedes electromagnetic force which could be how black holes work, in this case the big bang could be the culmination of all matter in this way. There is no reason to think that this is the only case, if it is possible to repeat the intake and expansion of the universe then there is no reason why this could not happen somewhere else. I don't know about membrane universes colliding but "bubble" universes make sense.
I don't need to go into all the information provided in the rest of the thread, it's there if you care you can go back and look at it all. NOTHING is absolute in science, gravity does not work EVERYWHERE and classic physics falls apart on the atomic level. It is not dreaming to contemplate the possibilities of the universe, it is science. In the past (less then 100 yrs ago) computers were science fiction, before that horseless carriages, germs, a round earth, atoms, must I go on. A healthy sense of skepticism is only useful in the scientific community if it is directed at experiments to prove, disprove or adjust theories. And a theory in science is ANY explanation of a natural law, E=mc2 is a theory, the gas "laws" are theory's, the earth is round is a theory, any thing that in any way at any time from the big band to the end of time that has any possibility of being disproved is a theory. This is the definition of the scientific approach!
Instead of saying "that sounds like science fiction" or "I don't see any proof" it would be nice if some people would offer something of substance to the discussion. Show me proof it can't be possible or provide a theory to what you believe or disbelieve.
All theories that purport to be science must face A Moment of Truth, that is they must stand up for the empirical test. If a theory produces no testable hypotheses it is not science. If it is science the hypotheses must lead to a quantitative prediction that can be tested empirically. If it fails the test (assuming the test is sound) the hypothesis is (at least in part) FALSE. Negative tests imply busted hypotheses which means the underlying theory is not sound -- it must be reworked or replaced.
That is why science succeeds and philosophy, theology fail. Experiment, measure and observation is where science meets the Road.
ruveyn
ruveyn
(Observing patterns in the CMB led to some potential evidence for more than one universe to exist.)
IMO people who have not even stepped a foot in the theory allow themselves to speculate way too much.
Anything that exceeds the awesomeness barrier is put on a stand. Dream all you like but do not mesh it science then.
It is not appropriate to express "belief" or disbelief in a scientific notion until you have data and evidence.
QFT
IMO people who have not even stepped a foot in the theory allow themselves to speculate way too much.
Anything that exceeds the awesomeness barrier is put on a stand. Dream all you like but do not mesh it science then.
It is not appropriate to express "belief" or disbelief in a scientific notion until you have data and evidence.
QFT
All based on a speculation that is not well supported by empirical evidence.
Who here has read 'The Hidden Reality' by Michael Greene?
I think the most likely multiverse scenario is the 'bubble universes', as it relies upon the universe as we know it being just as we know it, only supposition made is that the universe is infinite, which is a pretty believable supposition if you ask me.
Who here has read 'Quest Crosstime' by Andre Norton?
I think the most likely real-life scenario is the 'single universe', as it relies upon the universe as we know it being just as we know it, only supposition made is that the universe is infinite, which is a pretty believable supposition if you ask me.
Endless permutations like that would quickly unravel any parallels of a multiverse.
Not really. Each and every quantum effect splits off a pair of universes. That results in a rather large, but still finite number of universes.
I meant the idea of split universes remaining identical is not really viable.
Endless permutations like that would quickly unravel any parallels of a multiverse.
Not really. Each and every quantum effect splits off a pair of universes. That results in a rather large, but still finite number of universes.
I meant the idea of split universes remaining identical is not really viable.
If two universes are identical, they are the same universe.
If two universes are almost identical, they are almost identical.
If two universes were almost identical, but the next event causes them to become identical, then they have become the same universe.
I quite like the idea that there may be some tendency for universes to do this, and then you can get to the concept of a large, but finite, number of universes.
Maybe this is true pastafarianism?
_________________
"Striking up conversations with strangers is an autistic person's version of extreme sports." Kamran Nazeer
Endless permutations like that would quickly unravel any parallels of a multiverse.
Not really. Each and every quantum effect splits off a pair of universes. That results in a rather large, but still finite number of universes.
I meant the idea of split universes remaining identical is not really viable.
If two universes are identical, they are the same universe.
If two universes are almost identical, they are almost identical.
If two universes were almost identical, but the next event causes them to become identical, then they have become the same universe.
I quite like the idea that there may be some tendency for universes to do this, and then you can get to the concept of a large, but finite, number of universes.
Maybe this is true pastafarianism?
No, you can't unburn something, or unring a bell. Some things will prevent any event that would allow them to return to being identical.
Just because two things are identical does not mean they are the same, any more than twins are the same person, or a mass produced product is the same physical object. One might be broken, the other not.
Just because two things are identical does not mean they are the same, any more than twins are the same person, or a mass produced product is the same physical object. One might be broken, the other not.
You are equivocating somewhat. Even if two twins had the same genome, the history of their bodies in the uterus is different.
ruveyn
Just because two things are identical does not mean they are the same, any more than twins are the same person, or a mass produced product is the same physical object. One might be broken, the other not.
You are equivocating somewhat. Even if two twins had the same genome, the history of their bodies in the uterus is different.
ruveyn
You're so aspie...isn't it fun?