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How should we think about the Multiverse?

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Robdemanc
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16 Feb 2013, 10:26 am

When physicists talk about the hidden dimensions to other universes they say that these dimensions are all around us. So I imagine that every point in our 3D universe provides other dimensions we could travel along if they were big enough.

But does this mean we should think of other universes as occupying the same space we are in?

I know its hard to think of these things but I want to. Any examples of how you think of it will be appreciated.



ruveyn
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16 Feb 2013, 11:55 am

Maybe thinking about other Universes that we will never be able to contact or go to is a waste of time.

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Robdemanc
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16 Feb 2013, 12:56 pm

Some people presumably said something similar to Columbus in 1492.



Fnord
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16 Feb 2013, 1:12 pm

Columbus actually accomplished something.

Unless a way is found to access alleged other universes, speculation of their existence is of practical use only to mathematicians, physicists, and science-fiction writers.

Even the term "Multiverse" was not coined by a real scientist - the term was coined in 1895 by the American philosopher and psychologist William James, who wrote books on pragmatism, psychology, educational psychology, the psychology of religious experience, and mysticism.

Not exactly a reliable source of scientific information.



Robdemanc
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16 Feb 2013, 2:28 pm

Fnord wrote:
Columbus actually accomplished something.

Unless a way is found to access alleged other universes, speculation of their existence is of practical use only to mathematicians, physicists, and science-fiction writers.

Even the term "Multiverse" was not coined by a real scientist - the term was coined in 1895 by the American philosopher and psychologist William James, who wrote books on pragmatism, psychology, educational psychology, the psychology of religious experience, and mysticism.

Not exactly a reliable source of scientific information.


"Hey Columbus, you're going to fall off the edge of the world."



Exploronaut
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16 Feb 2013, 2:40 pm

Robdemanc wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Columbus actually accomplished something.

Unless a way is found to access alleged other universes, speculation of their existence is of practical use only to mathematicians, physicists, and science-fiction writers.

Even the term "Multiverse" was not coined by a real scientist - the term was coined in 1895 by the American philosopher and psychologist William James, who wrote books on pragmatism, psychology, educational psychology, the psychology of religious experience, and mysticism.

Not exactly a reliable source of scientific information.


"Hey Columbus, you're going to fall off the edge of the world."

People did actually know that the Earth was round as a sphere. Columbus thought that it was shaped like a pear.


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Cacao
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16 Feb 2013, 3:00 pm

Clearly there must be another dimension. How else are we going to explain the odd phenomena in physics?



Robdemanc
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16 Feb 2013, 3:05 pm

I think there is an infinite number of universes, that time is infinite and so is space. Nothing is containable and that there are corners everywhere that allow access to different universes. Every time we make a decision we turn a corner and into a new universe.



ruveyn
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16 Feb 2013, 3:17 pm

Robdemanc wrote:
Some people presumably said something similar to Columbus in 1492.


In their case they were wrong. In my case I am right. We cannot get to or even observe these other "universes". They exist in a dimension not accessible to us.

On the other hand the earth was always spherical and one could always get from point A to to point B, even if by a round about route.

ruveyn



Last edited by ruveyn on 16 Feb 2013, 8:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Fnord
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16 Feb 2013, 4:28 pm

Cacao wrote:
Clearly there must be another dimension. How else are we going to explain the odd phenomena in physics?

Inappropriate assumptions ... poor calibration ... observational bias ... falsified results ... desperation ...


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Fnord
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16 Feb 2013, 4:31 pm

Robdemanc wrote:
I think there is an infinite number of universes, that time is infinite and so is space. Nothing is containable and that there are corners everywhere that allow access to different universes. Every time we make a decision we turn a corner and into a new universe.

I'm satisfied that you expressed this as an opinion, as there is no valid empirical data to support the presumption that "... there are corners everywhere that allow access to different universes...".

Unless, of course, you can show me one that actually works on the human scale; in which case, I'll be the first in line to step through!


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Kurgan
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17 Feb 2013, 12:00 pm

If there are more universes (no evidence so far points in this direction), then there would be no way for us to interact with them, just like there would be no way for any virtual beings in a computer with no internet to communicate with any virtual beings on another computer. Even if we could travel to a different universe, the laws of physics may be so vastly different from "our" laws of physics that you'd risk being disintegrated, instantly transformed to plasma or crushed by your own gravity.

Furthermore, as of 2013, there's no need for multiple universes to exist for us to understand this universe.



Fnord
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17 Feb 2013, 12:02 pm

Kurgan wrote:
... there's no need for multiple universes to exist ...

... unless you make your living as a science-fiction or fantasy writer!

:wink:


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Kurgan
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17 Feb 2013, 12:03 pm

Cacao wrote:
Clearly there must be another dimension. How else are we going to explain the odd phenomena in physics?


The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is entirely comprehensible. -- Albert Einstein



Kurgan
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17 Feb 2013, 12:05 pm

Fnord wrote:
Kurgan wrote:
... there's no need for multiple universes to exist ...

... unless you make your living as a science-fiction or fantasy writer!

:wink:


If find no mention of the word "multiverse" or "omniverse" in my favourite sci-fi novels (Dune and The Time Machine). :)



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17 Feb 2013, 12:13 pm

Kurgan wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Kurgan wrote:
... there's no need for multiple universes to exist ...
... unless you make your living as a science-fiction or fantasy writer!
I find no mention of the word "multiverse" or "omniverse" in my favourite sci-fi novels (Dune and The Time Machine). :)

True, but they do presume physical principles that are not accepted as valid in this universe - retrograde time travel and psionics.

Either way, the term "multiverse" is best reserved for speculative fiction, higher mathematics, and theoretical physics; and should not be bandied about as if it meant anything in other than an abstract context.


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