The Multiverse Theory

Exploring the Possibility of Infinite Universes

The concept of an ‘infinite-universe’ is nothing new in the modern world, in fact the theory of it originated in the last century from physicist Hugh Everett III in 1957. He proposed the "Many-Worlds Interpretation" of quantum mechanics, which suggests that all possible outcomes of a quantum event actually happen in separate, parallel universes. This begs the question in many of us, is there another version of me out there? Am I living a completely different life? Maybe in that other world, you made different choices, have a different name, or even live on a different planet. While there are many wild conspiracies out there based on this topic, believe it or not scientists theorized that this might be a possible concept. This is the basic idea behind something called the Multiverse Theory.

It's referred to as the multiverse theory, and it suggests that our universe, the one that we live in with our stars, our galaxies, our laws of physics might not be the only universe in existence. There is a possibility that other universes - with similarities to ours or completely different - could exist simultaneously with our universe. Each universe might contain its own unique rules, histories and outcomes compared to each other in every imaginable way. Though sounding like a science fiction movie plot, this has been a debatable topic in the field of modern physics.

What Do We Mean by “Universe” and “Multiverse”?

Usually, we interpret ‘the universe’ as everything that we can see, measure or understand. This includes all the stars, the planets and the galaxies that stretch at the expanses of the cosmos. It also especially includes time itself. However, according to the multiverse theory, each universe is a bubble in the vast ocean. And that ocean also contains more bubbles representing a separate universe. The entire ocean would be referred to as the multiverse.

Each universe in the multiverse could be different in numerous possible ways. In one gravity might not exist at all, in another atoms might be the size of basketballs. Even more, there could be universes where light might not be the fastest thing, planets might not exist or even life. But on the contrary, there might be ones that resemble our universe with stars, galaxies and maybe even lifeforms such as us.

Why Do Scientists Even Think This Could Be Real?

Though as superficial as it sounds, it's of great importance to acknowledge that the multiverse isn’t something scientists came up over breakfast. It actually originated from the combined ideas of physics, cosmology and the study of the universe’s origin and structure. For example, the Big Bag Theory (a theory that explains how our universe begins) can be one of the greatest clues. According to this theory, the universe started as a tiny, super-hot point and expanded rapidly. Some scientists speculate that this rapid expansion from the Big Bang, referred to as “inflation,” might have created not just our universe, but other universes as well.

Quantum physics, the science of particle behavior at miniscule scale, is another reason why scientists are so intrigued in the multiverse. Strangely, in our world, particles can be in more than one state at once. Scientists hypothesized that each time an unpredictable event occurred, such as a particle taking one path instead of another, the universe might be split in two in that split second moment, projecting two different outcomes from that single event. Interestingly enough this is also how the idea of a parallel universe had come up, this is where every outcome of a single event is projected in a separate reality.

Finally, there's the thought that the laws of nature that we experience in our universe are not necessarily the only way that things might operate. If universes do exist, they might have laws of nature that are quite unlike ours, and that's why our universe seems so beautifully tailor-made for the existence of life.

Are There Different Kinds of Multiverse Theories?

As if not crazy enough, the idea of multiverse actually contains several speculations on how this theory might work. There is one version claiming that parallel universes (the one we discussed earlier) exists and a new one is created every time a decision is made for each possible outcome. For example, if right now you decided to stop reading this blog and go watch a movie, there would be a universe where you would continue reading this blog (I hope it's this universe).

Another version is the cosmic bubble theory, which says that each universe is like a bubble in a big cosmic foam. Our universe is just one bubble, and there are countless others floating nearby—but we can’t see them or reach them.

There’s also the mathematical multiverse, which is the idea that if every possible set of mathematical rules exists, then every kind of universe that can exist, does exist. This one is a bit more abstract and harder to imagine, but it’s still being explored.

Can We Prove It?

Not necessarily. Currently there's no direct evidence that can provide enough evidence to prove the existence of another universe. It's not like we use a telescope to scout for another universe and most definitely cannot send a spacecraft in search for it, this is because they might be at a lengthy distance or might be on another completely different plane of reality. Faced with such confinement scientists suggested that rather, the multiverse is more of an idea than a possibility as it is something that seems impossible to prove or test, just yet.

But don’t interpret this as completely pointless. Previously, many significant discoveries in science began from seemingly impossible to answer questions. Even if we are ever unable to see other universes, it is beneficial as it encourages us to think more and improve our own understanding of our own universe—and that can lead to real progress in physics and cosmology.

Why Does the Multiverse Matter?

Despite the likelihood that we could never really prove the multiverse theory, it is still a crucial theory as it has evolved our interpretation of reality. It begs the questions: Is our universe special? Are we really unique? Are there ways things could have been different? It also helped us think more deeply about reality and its meaning.

For those who are intrigued with big questions and cosmic mysteries, the multiverse is an incredibly exciting and promising idea to explore. It reforms our imagination to things we never thought of or even consider and invites us to view reality in a bigger picture (but also weirder) than anything we ever thought possible.

Summary

The multiverse theory is one of many fascinating theories in the field of space. Though currently being  just a theory, it still opens endless possibilities. Maybe somewhere out there, there’s another Earth where everything is slightly different—or completely unrecognizable. Maybe every choice we make creates new realities. Or maybe we’re truly alone living on the only Earth to ever exist.

Everything is still just speculations and no one knows for certain. But boundaries can be pushed by exploring this idea. There are no guarantees of answers to our questions, but sometimes, asking the right questions is just as important as finding the answers.