The multiverse is a scientific concept suggesting the existence of many parallel universes. There are a number of hypotheses describing the diversity of these worlds, their properties and interactions.
The success of quantum theory is undeniable. After all, it, along with it, represents all the fundamental laws of physics known to the modern world. Despite this, quantum theory still poses a number of questions to which there are still no definite answers. One of them is the well-known “Schrödinger’s cat problem,” which clearly demonstrates the shaky foundation of quantum theory, which is formed on predictions and the probability of a particular event. The point is that a feature of a particle, according to quantum theory, is its existence in a state equal to the sum of all its possible states. In this case, if we apply this law to the quantum world, it turns out that the cat is the sum of the states of a living and a dead cat!
And although the laws of quantum theory are successfully used in the application of technologies such as radar, radio, mobile phones and the Internet, we have to put up with the above paradox.
In an attempt to solve the quantum problem, the so-called “Copenhagen theory” was formed, according to which the state of the cat becomes definite when we open the box and observe its state, which was previously indefinite. However, applying the Copenhagen theory to, say, means that Pluto has existed only since it was discovered by the American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh on February 18, 1930. Only on this day was the wave function (state) of Pluto recorded, and the rest all collapsed. But Pluto's age is known to be well over 3.5 billion years, indicating problems with the Copenhagen interpretation.
Plurality of Worlds
Another solution to the quantum problem was proposed by the American physicist Hugh Everett in 1957. He formulated the so-called “many-worlds interpretation of quantum worlds.” According to it, every time an object moves from an uncertain state to a certain one, this object is split into a number of probable states. Taking the example of Schrödinger's cat, when we open the box, a universe appears with a scenario where the cat is dead and a universe appears where he remains alive. Thus, he is in two states, but in parallel worlds, that is, all the wave functions of the cat remain valid and none of them collapses.
It was this hypothesis that many science fiction writers used in their science fiction works. The plurality of parallel worlds suggests the presence of a number of alternative events, due to which history took a different course. For example, in some world the invincible Spanish Armada was not defeated or the Third Reich won the Second World War.
A more modern interpretation of this model explains the impossibility of interaction with other worlds by the lack of coherence of wave functions. Roughly speaking, at some point our wave function stopped oscillating in time with the functions of parallel worlds. Then it is quite possible that we can coexist in an apartment with “roommates” from other universes, without interacting with them in any way, and, like them, be convinced that our Universe is the real one.
In fact, the term “many-worlds” is not entirely appropriate for this theory, since it assumes one world with many variants of events occurring simultaneously.
Most theoretical physicists agree that this hypothesis is incredibly fantastic, but it explains the problems of quantum theory. However, a number of scientists do not consider the many-worlds interpretation to be scientific, since it cannot be confirmed or refuted using the scientific method.
In quantum cosmology
Today, the hypothesis of the plurality of worlds is returning to the scientific scene, as scientists intend to use quantum theory not for any objects, but to apply it to the entire Universe. We are talking about the so-called “quantum cosmology”, which, as it may seem at first glance, is absurd even in its formulation. Questions in this scientific field are related to the Universe. The miniscule size of the Universe at the first stages of its formation is quite consistent with the scale of quantum theory.
In this case, if the dimensions of the Universe were of the order of , then by applying quantum theory to it, we can also obtain an indefinite state of the Universe. The latter implies the existence of other universes in different states with different probabilities. Then the states of all parallel worlds in total give one single “wave function of the Universe”. Unlike the many-worlds interpretation, quantum universes exist separately.
As you know, there is a problem of fine-tuning the Universe, which draws attention to the fact that the physical fundamental constants that define the basic laws of nature in the world are chosen ideally for the existence of life. If the mass of the proton were slightly smaller, the formation of elements heavier than hydrogen would be impossible. This problem can be solved using the multiverse model, in which many parallel universes with different fundamental values are realized. Then the probability of the existence of some of these worlds is small and they “die” soon after their birth, for example, they shrink or fly apart. Others, whose constants form non-contradictory laws of physics, most likely remain stable. According to this hypothesis, the multiverse includes a large number of parallel worlds, most of which are “dead”, and only a small number of parallel universes allow them to exist for a long time, and even give the right to the presence of intelligent life.
In string theory
One of the most promising areas of theoretical physics is. It deals with the description of quantum strings - extended one-dimensional objects, the vibrations of which appear to us in the form of particles. The original purpose of this theory is to unify two fundamental theories: general relativity and quantum theory. As it turned out later, this can be done in several ways, as a result of which several string theories were formed. In the mid-1990s, a number of theoretical physicists discovered that these theories were different instances of a single construct, later called "M-theory".
Its peculiarity lies in the existence of a certain 11-dimensional membrane, the strings of which permeate our Universe. However, we live in a world with four dimensions (three spatial coordinates and one time), where do the other dimensions go? Scientists suggest that they close on themselves on a very small scale, which cannot yet be observed due to insufficient development of technology. Another purely mathematical problem follows from this statement - a large number of “false vacua” arise.
The simplest explanation for this convolution of spaces unobservable by us, as well as the presence of false vacua, is the multiverse. String physicists rely on the idea that there are a huge number of other universes with not only different physical laws, but also a different number of dimensions. Thus, the membrane of our Universe in a simplified form can be represented as a sphere, a bubble on the surface of which we live, and whose 7 dimensions are in a “collapsed” state. Then our world, together with other membrane universes, is something like a lot of soap bubbles that float in 11-dimensional hyperspace. We, existing in 3-dimensional space, cannot get out of it, and therefore do not have the opportunity to interact with other universes.
As mentioned earlier, most parallel worlds and universes are dead. That is, due to unstable or unsuitable physical laws for life, their substance can be represented, for example, only in the form of a structureless accumulation of electrons and. The reason for this is the variety of possible quantum states of particles, different values of fundamental constants and a different number of dimensions. It is noteworthy that such an assumption does not contradict the Copernican principle, which states that our world is not unique. Since, although in small quantities, there may be worlds whose physical laws, despite their differences from ours, still allow the formation of complex structures and the emergence of intelligent life.
The validity of the theory
Although the multiverse hypothesis sounds like something out of a science fiction book, it has one drawback: it is impossible for scientists to prove or disprove it using the scientific method. But there is complex mathematics behind it and a number of significant and promising physical theories rely on it. Arguments in favor of the multiverse are presented in the following list:
- It is the foundation for the existence of a many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. One of two advanced theories (along with the Copenhagen interpretation) that solve the problem of uncertainty in quantum mechanics.
- Explains the reasons for the existence of fine tuning of the Universe. In the case of the multiverse, the parameters of our world are only one of many possible options.
- It is the so-called “string theory landscape”, as it solves the problem of false vacua and allows us to describe the reason why a certain number of dimensions of our Universe fold up.
- Supported by , which best explains its extension. In the early stages of the formation of the Universe, most likely it could have been divided into two or more universes, each of which evolved independently of the other. The modern standard cosmological model of the Universe, Lambda-CDM, is based on the theory of inflation.
Swedish cosmologist Max Tegmark proposed a classification of various alternative worlds:
- Universes beyond our visible Universe.
- Universes with other fundamental constants and numbers of dimensions, which, for example, can be located on other membranes, according to M-theory.
- Parallel universes arising according to the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.
- The final ensemble is all possible universes.
There is nothing to say yet about the future fate of the theory of the multiverse, but today it occupies an honorable place in cosmology and theoretical physics, and is supported by a number of outstanding physicists of our time: Stephen Hawking, Brian Greene, Max Tegmark, Michio Kaku, Alan Guth, Neil Tyson and others.
How often do you think about how our world would be structured today if the outcome of some key historical events had been different? What would our planet be like if dinosaurs, for example, had not gone extinct? Our every action and decision automatically becomes part of the past. In fact, there is no present: everything we do at this moment cannot be changed, it is recorded in the memory of the Universe. However, there is a theory according to which there are many universes where we live a completely different life: each of our actions is associated with a certain choice and, making this choice in our Universe, in a parallel one, the “other me” makes the opposite decision. How justified is such a theory from a scientific point of view? Why did scientists resort to it? Let's try to figure it out in our article.
Many Worlds Concept of the Universe
The theory of a probable set of worlds was first mentioned by the American physicist Hugh Everett. He offered his solution to one of the main quantum mysteries of physics. Before moving directly to Hugh Everett’s theory, it is necessary to understand what this mystery of quantum particles is, which has haunted physicists around the world for decades.
Let's imagine an ordinary electron. It turns out that as a quantum object it can be in two places at the same time. This property of it is called the superposition of two states. But the magic doesn't end there. As soon as we want to somehow specify the location of the electron, for example, we try to knock it down with another electron, then from quantum it will become ordinary. How is this possible: the electron was at both point A and point B and suddenly at a certain moment jumped to B?
Hugh Everett offered his interpretation of this quantum mystery. According to his many-worlds theory, the electron continues to exist in two states simultaneously. It's all about the observer himself: now he turns into a quantum object and is divided into two states. In one of them he sees an electron at point A, in the other - at B. There are two parallel realities, and in which of them the observer will find himself is unknown. The division into realities is not limited to the number two: their branching depends only on the variation of events. However, all these realities exist independently of each other. We, as observers, find ourselves in one, from which it is impossible to leave, as well as to move to a parallel one.
Octavio Fossatti / Unsplash.com
From the point of view of this concept, the experiment with the most scientific cat in the history of physics, Schrödinger’s cat, is easily explained. According to the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, the poor cat in the steel chamber is both alive and dead. When we open this chamber, it is as if we merge with the cat and form two states - alive and dead, which do not intersect. Two different universes are formed: in one, an observer with a dead cat, in the other, with a living one.
It is worth immediately noting that the many-worlds concept does not imply the presence of many universes: it is one, simply multi-layered, and each object in it can be in different states. Such a concept cannot be considered an experimentally confirmed theory. For now, this is just a mathematical description of the quantum mystery.
Hugh Everett's theory is supported by physicist and professor at Australia's Griffith University Howard Wiseman, Dr Michael Hall from the Griffith University Center for Quantum Dynamics and Dr Dirk-Andre Deckert from the University of California. In their opinion, parallel worlds really exist and are endowed with different characteristics. Any quantum mysteries and patterns are a consequence of the “repulsion” of neighboring worlds from each other. These quantum phenomena arise so that each world is different from the other.
The concept of parallel universes and string theory
From school lessons we remember well that in physics there are two main theories: general relativity and quantum field theory. The first explains physical processes in the macroworld, the second - in the micro. If both of these theories are used on the same scale, they will contradict each other. It seems logical that there should be some general theory that applies to all distances and scales. As such, physicists put forward string theory.
The fact is that on a very small scale certain vibrations arise that are similar to vibrations from an ordinary string. These strings are charged with energy. “Strings” are not strings in the literal sense. This is an abstraction that explains the interaction of particles, physical constants, and their characteristics. In the 1970s, when the theory was born, scientists believed that it would become universal to describe our entire world. However, it turned out that this theory only works in 10-dimensional space (and we live in four-dimensional space). The remaining six dimensions of space simply collapse. But, as it turned out, they are not folded in a simple way.
In 2003, scientists found out that they can collapse in a huge number of ways, and each new method produces its own universe with different physical constants.
Jason Blackeye / Unsplash.com
As with the many-worlds concept, string theory is quite difficult to prove experimentally. In addition, the mathematical apparatus of the theory is so difficult that for each new idea a mathematical explanation must be sought literally from scratch.
Mathematical Universe Hypothesis
Cosmologist and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Max Tegmark put forward his “theory of everything” in 1998 and called it the hypothesis of a mathematical universe. He solved the problem of the existence of a large number of physical laws in his own way. In his opinion, each set of these laws, which are consistent from the point of view of mathematics, corresponds to an independent universe. The universality of the theory is that it can be used to explain all the variety of physical laws and the values of physical constants.
Tegmark proposed that all worlds, according to his concept, be divided into four groups. The first includes worlds located beyond our cosmic horizon, the so-called extra-metagalactic objects. The second group includes worlds with other physical constants, different from those of our Universe. The third is worlds that appear as a result of the interpretation of the laws of quantum mechanics. The fourth group is a certain set of all universes in which certain mathematical structures appear.
As the researcher notes, our Universe is not the only one, since space is limitless. Our world, where we live, is limited by space, the light from which reached us 13.8 billion years after the Big Bang. We will be able to reliably learn about other universes in at least another billion years, until the light from them reaches us.
Stephen Hawking: black holes are a path to another universe
Stephen Hawking is also a proponent of the many universes theory. One of the most famous scientists of our time first presented his essay “Black Holes and Young Universes” in 1988. The researcher suggests that black holes are a path to alternative worlds.
Thanks to Stephen Hawking, we know that black holes tend to lose energy and evaporate, releasing Hawking radiation, which is named after the researcher himself. Before the great scientist made this discovery, the scientific community believed that everything that somehow fell into a black hole disappeared. Hawking's theory refutes this assumption. According to the physicist, hypothetically, any thing, object, object that falls into a black hole flies out of it and ends up in another universe. However, such a journey is a one-way movement: there is no way to return.
The belief that man is not alone in the universe pushes thousands of scientists to research. Is the existence of parallel worlds real? Evidence based on mathematics, physics, and history supports the existence of other dimensions.
Mentions in ancient texts
How to decipher the very concept of parallel measurement? It first appeared in fiction, not scientific literature. This is a type of alternative reality that exists simultaneously with the earthly one, but has certain differences. Its size can be very different - from a planet to a small city.
In written form, the topic of other worlds and Universes can be found in the works of ancient Greek and Roman explorers and scientists. Italian believed in the existence of inhabited worlds.
And Aristotle believed that in addition to people and animals, there were invisible entities nearby that had an etheric body. Phenomena that humanity could not explain from a scientific point of view were attributed magical properties. An example is the belief in an afterlife - there is not a single nation that does not believe in life after death. The Byzantine theologian Damascus in 705 mentioned angels capable of transmitting thoughts without words. Is there evidence of parallel worlds in the scientific world?
Quantum physics
This section of science is actively developing, and today it There are even more mysteries than answers. It was identified only in 1900 thanks to the experiments of Max Planck. He discovered deviations in radiation that contradicted generally accepted physical laws. Thus, photons under different conditions can change shape.
Subsequently, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle showed that by observing quantum matter, it is impossible to influence its behavior. Therefore, parameters such as speed and location cannot be accurately determined. The theory was confirmed by scientists from the Institute in Copenhagen.
By observing a quantum object, Thomas Bohr discovered that particles exist in all possible states at once. This phenomenon is called Based on these data, in the middle of the last century it was suggested that alternative Universes exist.
Everett's Many Worlds
The young physicist Hugh Everett was a candidate of science at Princeton University. In 1954, he proposed and provided information about the existence of parallel worlds. Evidence and theory based on the laws of quantum physics have informed humanity that there are many worlds similar to our Universe in the Galaxy.
His scientific research indicated that the Universes were identical and interconnected, but at the same time deviated from each other. This suggested that in other galaxies the development of living organisms could occur in a similar or radically different way. So, there could be the same historical wars or there could be no people at all. Microorganisms that failed to adapt to earthly conditions could evolve in another world.
The idea looked incredible, similar to a fantastic story by H. G. Wells and similar authors. But is it so unrealistic? The “string theory” of the Japanese Michayo Kaku is similar - the Universe has the form of a bubble and can interact with similar ones, there is a gravitational field between them. But with such contact, a “Big Bang” will result, as a result of which our Galaxy was formed.
Einstein's works
Albert Einstein throughout his life searched for one universal answer to all questions - the “theory of everything.” The first model of the Universe, of an infinite number of them, was laid down by a scientist in 1917 and became the first scientific evidence of parallel worlds. The scientist saw a system constantly moving in time and space relative to the earthly universe.
Astronomers and theoretical physicists, such as Alexander Friedman and Arthur Eddington, refined and used this data. They came to the conclusion that the number of Universes is infinite, and each of them has a different degree of curvature of the space-time continuum, which makes it possible for these worlds to intersect an infinite number of times at many points.
Versions of scientists
There is an idea about the existence of a “fifth dimension”, and once it is discovered, humanity will have the opportunity to travel between parallel worlds. Scientist Vladimir Arshinov provides facts and evidence. He believes that there can be a huge number of versions of other realities. A simple example is through the looking glass, where the truth becomes a lie.
Professor Christopher Monroe experimentally confirmed the possibility of the simultaneous existence of two realities at the atomic level. The laws of physics do not deny the possibility of one world flowing into another without violating the law of conservation of energy. But this requires an amount of energy that is not available in the entire Galaxy.
Another version of cosmologists is black holes, in which entrances to other realities are hidden. Professors Vladimir Surdin and Dmitry Galtsov support the hypothesis of the transition between worlds through such “wormholes.”
Australian parapsychologist Jean Grimbriar believes that in the world, among the many anomalous zones, there are forty tunnels leading to other worlds, of which seven are in America, and four are in Australia.
Modern confirmations
Researchers from University College London in 2017 obtained the first physical evidence of the possible existence of parallel worlds. British scientists have discovered points of contact between our Universe and others that are invisible to the eye. This is the first practical evidence by scientists of the existence of parallel worlds, according to “string theory.”
The discovery occurred while studying the distribution of cosmic microwave background radiation in space, which was preserved after the Big Bang. It is considered the starting point for the formation of our Universe. The radiation was not uniform and contained zones with different temperatures. Professor Stephen Feeney called them "cosmic holes formed as a result of the contact of ours and parallel worlds."
Dream as a type of another reality
One of the options for proving a parallel world with which a person can contact is a dream. The speed of processing and transmission of information during the period of night rest is several times higher than during wakefulness. In a few hours you can experience months and years of life. But incomprehensible images may appear before the consciousness that cannot be explained.
It has been established that the Universe consists of many atoms with a large internal energy potential. They are invisible to humans, but the fact of their existence has been confirmed. Microparticles are in constant motion, their vibrations have different frequencies, directions and speeds.
If we assume that a person was able to travel at the speed of sound, then it would be possible to travel around the Earth in a few seconds. At the same time, it would be possible to examine surrounding objects, such as islands, seas and continents. And for a prying eye such a movement would remain invisible.
Similarly, another world may exist nearby, moving at a higher speed. Therefore, it is not possible to see and record it; the subconscious has this ability. So, sometimes the “déjà vu” effect occurs when an event or object that appears in reality for the first time turns out to be familiar. Although there may be no real confirmation of this fact. Maybe this happened at the intersection of worlds? This is a simple explanation of many mysterious things that modern science is not able to characterize.
Mysterious cases
Is there evidence of parallel worlds among the population? Mysterious disappearances of people are not considered by science. According to statistics, about 30% of disappearances remain unexplained. The site of mass disappearances is a limestone cave in a California park. And in Russia, such a zone is located in an 18th-century mine near Gelendzhik.
One such case occurred in 1964 with a lawyer from California. Thomas Mehan was last seen by a paramedic at Herberville Hospital. He came complaining of terrible pain, and while the nurse was checking his insurance policy, he disappeared. In fact, he left work and didn't get home. His car was found in a damaged state, and nearby were traces of a person. However, after a few meters they disappeared. The lawyer's body was found 30 km from the scene of the accident, and the cause of death was established by pathologists as drowning. Moreover, the moment of death coincided with his appearance in the hospital.
Another unexplained incident was recorded in 1988 in Tokyo. A car hit a man who appeared out of “nowhere.” The antique clothes confused the police, and when they found the victim’s passport, it turned out to be issued 100 years ago. According to the business card of the man who died in a car accident, the latter was an artist of the imperial theater, and the street indicated on it had not existed for 70 years. After an investigation, the elderly woman recognized the deceased as her father, who had disappeared during her childhood. Isn't this proof of parallel worlds and their existence? In support, she provided a photograph from 1902, which depicted a deceased man with a girl.
Incidents in the Russian Federation
Similar cases occur in Russia. So, in 1995, a former plant controller met a strange passenger during a flight. The young girl was looking for her pension certificate in her bag and claimed that she was 75 years old. When the lady ran away from the vehicle in confusion to the nearest police department, the inspector followed her, but did not find the young lady in the premises.
How to perceive such phenomena? Can they be considered the contact of two dimensions? Is this proof? And what if several people find themselves in the same situation at the same time?
Evolution has given us intuitions about everyday physics that were vital to our early ancestors; therefore, as soon as we go beyond the everyday, we can well expect strange things.
The simplest and most popular cosmological model predicts that we have a twin in a galaxy about 10 to the power of $10^(28)$ meters away. The distance is so great that it is beyond the reach of astronomical observations, but this does not make our twin any less real. The assumption is based on probability theory without involving the concepts of modern physics. The only accepted assumption is that space is infinite and filled with matter. There may be many inhabited planets, including those where people live with the same appearance, the same names and memories, who have gone through the same vicissitudes of life as us.
But we will never be given the opportunity to see our other lives. The farthest distance we can look is that which light can travel in the 14 billion years since the Big Bang. The distance between the farthest visible objects from us is about $43\cdot 10^(26)$ m; it determines the observable region of the Universe, called the Hubble volume, or the volume of the cosmic horizon, or simply the Universe. The universes of our twins are spheres of the same size with centers on their planets. This is the simplest example of parallel universes, each of which is only a small part of the superuniverse.
The very definition of “universe” suggests that it will forever remain in the field of metaphysics. However, the boundary between physics and metaphysics is determined by the possibility of experimental testing of theories, and not by the existence of unobservable objects. The boundaries of physics are constantly expanding, including increasingly abstract (and previously metaphysical) ideas, for example, about a spherical Earth, invisible electromagnetic fields, time dilation at high speeds, superposition of quantum states, the curvature of space and black holes. In recent years, the idea of a superuniverse has been added to this list. It is based on proven theories—quantum mechanics and relativity—and meets both basic criteria of empirical science: predictive and falsifiable. Scientists consider four types of parallel universes. The main question is not whether a superuniverse exists, but how many levels it might have.
Level I
Beyond our cosmic horizon
The parallel universes of our counterparts constitute the first level of the superuniverse. This is the least controversial type. We all recognize the existence of things that we do not see, but could see by moving to another place or simply waiting, as we wait for a ship to appear from (beyond the horizon. Objects located beyond our cosmic horizon have a similar status. The size of the observable region of the Universe increases by one light year each year as light reaches us from ever more distant regions, beyond which lies an infinity yet to be seen. We will probably die long before our counterparts are within observation range, but if. the expansion of the Universe will help, our descendants will be able to see them in fairly powerful telescopes.
Level I of the superuniverse seems banally obvious. How can space not be infinite? Is there a "Beware! End of Space" sign somewhere? If there is an end to space, what is beyond it? However, Einstein's theory of gravity called this intuition into question. Space can be finite if it has positive curvature or an unusual topology. Spherical , a toroidal or “pretzel” universe can have a finite volume, without boundaries. Background cosmic microwave radiation makes it possible to verify the existence of such structures. However, the evidence so far speaks against them, the model of an infinite universe, and strict restrictions are imposed on all other options.
Another option is this: space is infinite, but matter is concentrated in a limited area around us. In one version of the once popular “island Universe” model, it is accepted that on large scales matter becomes rarefied and has a fractal structure. In both cases, almost all universes in a Level I superuniverse should be empty and lifeless. Recent studies of the three-dimensional distribution of galaxies and background radiation have shown that the distribution of matter tends to be uniform on large scales and does not form structures larger than 1024 m. If this trend continues, then the space beyond the observable Universe should be replete with galaxies, stars and planets.
For observers in parallel universes of the first level, the same laws of physics apply as for us, but under different starting conditions. According to modern theories, the processes that occurred in the initial stages of the Big Bang scattered matter randomly, so that any structures were likely to arise. Cosmologists accept that our Universe, with an almost uniform distribution of matter and initial density fluctuations of the order of 1/105, is very typical (at least among those in which there are observers). Estimates based on this assumption indicate that your nearest exact copy is at a distance of 10 to the power of $10^(28)$ m. At a distance of 10 to the power of $10^(92)$ m there should be a sphere with a radius of 100 light years, identical to the one in in the center of which we are; so that everything that we see in the next century will also be seen by our counterparts there. At a distance of about 10 to the power of $10^(118)$ m from us, there should be a Hubble volume identical to ours.
These estimates are derived by calculating the possible number of quantum states that the Hubble volume can have if its temperature does not exceed 108 K. The number of states can be estimated by asking the question: how many protons can the Hubble volume accommodate at this temperature? The answer is $10^(118)$. However, each proton can be either present or absent, giving 2 to the power of $10^(118)$ possible configurations. A “box” containing so many Hubble volumes covers all possibilities. Its size is 10 to the power of $10^(118)$ m. Beyond it, universes, including ours, must repeat themselves. Approximately the same figures can be obtained based on thermodynamic or quantum-gravitational estimates of the total information content of the Universe. However, our closest twin is most likely closer to us than these estimates suggest, since the process of planet formation and the evolution of life favors this. Astronomers estimate that our Hubble volume contains at least $10^(20)$ of habitable planets, some of which may be similar to Earth.
REVIEW: SUPERuniverses
- Astronomical observations indicate that parallel universes are no longer a metaphor. Space is apparently infinite, which means that everything possible becomes real. Beyond the reach of telescopes, there are regions of space that are identical to ours and in this sense are parallel universes. Scientists can even calculate how far they are from us.
- When cosmologists consider some controversial theories, they come to the conclusion that other universes may have completely different properties and physical laws. The existence of such universes could explain the features of our Universe and answer fundamental questions about the nature of time and the knowability of the physical world.
In modern cosmology, the concept of a Level I superuniverse is widely used to test theories. Let's look at how cosmologists use cosmic microwave background radiation to reject the model of finite spherical geometry. Hot and cold “spots” on CMB maps have a characteristic size that depends on the curvature of space. So, the size of the observed spots is too small to be consistent with spherical geometry. Their average size varies randomly from one Hubble volume to another, so it is possible that our Universe is spherical, but has anomalously small spots. When cosmologists say they rule out the spherical model at the 99.9% confidence level, they mean that if the model is correct, then less than one Hubble volume in a thousand would have spots as small as those observed.
It follows that the superuniverse theory is testable and can be rejected, although we are not able to see other universes. The key is to predict what the ensemble of parallel universes is and find the probability distribution, or what mathematicians call the measure of the ensemble. Our Universe must be one of the most likely. If not, if within the framework of the superuniverse theory our Universe turns out to be improbable, then this theory will encounter difficulties. As we will see later, the problem of measure can become quite acute.
Level II
Other post-inflationary domains
If it was difficult for you to imagine a level I superuniverse, then try to imagine an infinite number of such superuniverses, some of which have a different dimension of space (time) and are characterized by other physical constants. Together they make up a level II superuniverse predicted by the theory of chaotic eternal inflation.
Inflation theory is a generalization of the Big Bang theory that eliminates shortcomings of the latter, such as its inability to explain why the Universe is so large, homogeneous and flat. The rapid expansion of space in ancient times makes it possible to explain these and many other properties of the Universe. Such stretching is predicted by a wide class of particle theories, and all available evidence supports it. The expression "chaotic eternal" in relation to inflation indicates what is happening on the largest scale. In general, space is constantly stretching, but in some areas the expansion stops and separate domains arise, like raisins in rising dough. An infinite number of such domains appear, and each of them serves as the embryo of a Level I superuniverse, filled with matter born from the energy of the field causing inflation.
The neighboring domains are more than infinity away from us, in the sense that they cannot be reached even if we move forever at the speed of light, since the space between our domain and the neighboring ones is stretching faster than we can move in it. Our descendants will never see their Level II counterparts. And if the expansion of the Universe is accelerating, as observations indicate, then they will never see their counterparts even at level I.
The Level II superuniverse is much more diverse than the Level I superuniverse. The domains differ not only in their initial conditions, but also in their fundamental properties. The prevailing view among physicists is that the dimensions of spacetime, the properties of elementary particles, and many so-called physical constants are not built into physical laws, but are the result of processes known as symmetry breaking. It is believed that space in our Universe once had nine equal dimensions. At the beginning of cosmic history, three of them took part in the expansion and became the three dimensions that characterize the Universe today. The remaining six are now undetectable, either because they remain microscopic, maintaining a toroidal topology, or because all matter is concentrated in a three-dimensional surface (membrane, or simply brane) in nine-dimensional space. Thus, the original symmetry of the measurements was broken. Quantum fluctuations causing chaotic inflation could cause different symmetry violations in different caverns. Some could become four-dimensional; others contain only two rather than three generations of quarks; and still others - to have a stronger cosmological constant than our Universe.
Cosmological data allow us to conclude that space exists beyond the Universe we observe. The WMAP satellite measured fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background radiation (left). The strongest ones have an angular size of just over half a degree (left graph), which implies that space is very large or infinite. (However, some cosmologists believe that the outlier point on the left of the graph indicates the finiteness of space.) Satellite data and the 2dF galaxy redshift survey indicate that on very large scales space is filled uniformly with matter (right graph), which means that other universes should be basically similar to ours.
Another way of the emergence of a level II superuniverse can be represented as a cycle of births and destructions of universes. In the 1930s, physicist Richard C. Tolman proposed this idea, and more recently Paul J. Steinhardt of Princeton University and Neil Turok of Cambridge University developed it further. Steinhardt and Turok's model provides a second three-dimensional brane, completely parallel to ours and only displaced relative to it in a dimension of a higher order. This parallel universe cannot be considered separate, since it interacts with ours. However, the ensemble of universes - past, present and future, which these branes form, is a superuniverse with. diversity, apparently close to that resulting from chaotic inflation. Another hypothesis of a superuniverse was proposed by physicist Lee Smolin from the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo (Ontario, Canada). His superuniverse is close in diversity to level II, but it mutates and gives birth to new universes through black holes, not branes.
Although we cannot interact with Level II parallel universes, cosmologists judge their existence by indirect evidence, since they may be the cause of strange coincidences in our Universe. For example, a hotel gives you room number 1967, and you note that you were born in 1967. “What a coincidence,” you say. However, upon reflection, you come to the conclusion that this is not so surprising. There are hundreds of rooms in a hotel, and you wouldn't think twice about it if you were offered a room that meant nothing to you. If you knew nothing about hotels, to explain this coincidence you might assume that there were other rooms in the hotel.
As a closer example, consider the mass of the Sun. As is known, the luminosity of a star is determined by its mass. Using the laws of physics, we can calculate that life on Earth can exist only if the mass of the Sun lies in the range: from 1.6 x 1030 to 2.4 x 1030 kg. Otherwise, the Earth's climate would be colder than Mars or hotter than Venus. Measurements of the mass of the Sun gave a value of 2.0x1030 kg. At first glance, the solar mass falling within the range of values that supports life on Earth is accidental. The masses of stars occupy the range from 1029 to 1032 kg; If the Sun acquired its mass by chance, then the chance of falling exactly into the optimal interval for our biosphere would be extremely small. The apparent coincidence can be explained by assuming the existence of an ensemble (in this case, many planetary systems) and a selection factor (our planet must be suitable for life). Such observer-related selection criteria are called anthropic; and although the mention of them usually causes controversy, most physicists agree that these criteria cannot be neglected when selecting fundamental theories.
What do all these examples have to do with parallel universes? It turns out that a small change in the physical constants determined by symmetry breaking leads to a qualitatively different universe - one in which we could not exist. If the mass of a proton were just 0.2% greater, protons would decay to form neutrons, making the atoms unstable. If the electromagnetic interaction forces were 4% weaker, hydrogen and ordinary stars would not exist. If the weak force were even weaker, there would be no hydrogen; and if it were stronger, supernovae could not fill interstellar space with heavy elements. If the cosmological constant were noticeably larger, the Universe would become incredibly inflated before galaxies could even form.
The given examples allow us to expect the existence of parallel universes with different values of physical constants. The second-level superuniverse theory predicts that physicists will never be able to derive the values of these constants from fundamental principles, but will only be able to calculate the probability distribution of various sets of constants in the totality of all universes. Moreover, the result must be consistent with our existence in one of them.
Level III
Quantum many universes
Superuniverses of levels I and II contain parallel universes that are extremely distant from us beyond the limits of astronomy. However, the next level of the superuniverse lies right around us. It arises from the famous and highly controversial interpretation of quantum mechanics - the idea that random quantum processes cause the universe to "multiply" into many copies of itself - one for each possible outcome of the process.
At the beginning of the twentieth century. quantum mechanics explained the nature of the atomic world, which did not obey the laws of classical Newtonian mechanics. Despite the obvious successes, there were heated debates among physicists about what the true meaning of the new theory was. It defines the state of the Universe not in terms of classical mechanics, such as the positions and velocities of all particles, but through a mathematical object called the wave function. According to Schrödinger's equation, this state changes over time in a way that mathematicians call "unitary." It means that the wave function rotates in an abstract infinite-dimensional space called Hilbert space. Although quantum mechanics is often defined as fundamentally random and uncertain, the wave function evolves in a quite deterministic manner. There is nothing random or uncertain about it.
The hardest part is relating the wave function to what we observe. Many valid wave functions correspond to unnatural situations such as when a cat is both dead and alive at the same time, in what is called a superposition. In the 1920s, physicists got around this oddity by postulating that the wave function collapses to some specific classical outcome when someone makes an observation. This addition explained the observations, but turned an elegant unitary theory into a sloppy and non-unitary one. The fundamental randomness usually attributed to quantum mechanics is a consequence of precisely this postulate.
Over time, physicists abandoned this view in favor of another, proposed in 1957 by Princeton University graduate Hugh Everett III. He showed that it is possible to do without the postulate of collapse. Pure quantum theory does not impose any restrictions. Although it predicts that one classical reality will gradually split into a superposition of several such realities, the observer subjectively perceives this splitting as simply a small randomness with a probability distribution exactly matching that given by the old collapse postulate. This superposition of classical universes is the Level III superuniverse.
For more than forty years, this interpretation confused scientists. However, physical theory is easier to understand by comparing two points of view: external, from the position of a physicist studying mathematical equations (like a bird surveying the landscape from its height); and internal, from the position of an observer (let's call him a frog) living on the landscape observed by the bird.
From the bird's point of view, the Level III superuniverse is simple. There is only one wave function that smoothly evolves in time without splitting or parallelism. The abstract quantum world described by the evolving wave function contains a huge number of continuously splitting and merging lines of parallel classical histories, as well as a number of quantum phenomena that cannot be described within the framework of classical concepts. But from the frog's point of view, only a small part of this reality can be seen. She can see the Level I universe, but the process of decoherence, similar to the collapse of the wave function, but with the preservation of unitarity, does not allow her to see parallel copies of herself in Level III.
When an observer is asked a question to which he must quickly answer, the quantum effect in his brain leads to a superposition of decisions like this: “keep reading the article” and “stop reading the article.” From the bird's point of view, the act of making a decision causes the person to multiply into copies, some of which continue to read, while others stop reading. However, from an internal point of view, neither of the doubles is aware of the existence of the others and perceives the splitting simply as a slight uncertainty, some possibility of continuing or stopping reading.
No matter how strange it may seem, exactly the same situation arises even in the superuniverse of level I. Obviously, you decided to continue reading, but one of your counterparts in a distant galaxy put the magazine down after the first paragraph. Levels I and III differ only in that , where your doubles are located. At level I they live somewhere far away, in good old three-dimensional space, and at level III they live on another quantum branch of infinite-dimensional Hilbert space.
The existence of level III is possible only under the condition that the evolution of the wave function in time is unitary. So far, experiments have not revealed its deviations from unitarity. In recent decades, it has been confirmed for all larger systems, including the C60 fullerene and kilometer-long optical fibers. In theoretical terms, the position of unitarity was supported by the discovery of violation of coherence. Some theorists working in the field of quantum gravity question it. In particular, it is assumed that evaporating black holes can destroy information, which is not a unitary process. However, recent advances in string theory suggest that even quantum gravity is unitary. If this is so, then black holes do not destroy information, but simply transfer it somewhere.
If physics is unitary, the standard picture of the influence of quantum fluctuations in the early stages of the Big Bang must be modified. These fluctuations do not randomly determine the superposition of all possible initial conditions that coexist simultaneously. In this case, the violation of coherence causes the initial conditions to behave in a classical manner on various quantum branches. The key point is that the distribution of outcomes on different quantum branches of one Hubble volume (level III) is identical to the distribution of outcomes in different Hubble volumes of one quantum branch (level I). This property of quantum fluctuations is known in statistical mechanics as ergodicity.
The same reasoning applies to Level II. The process of breaking symmetry does not lead to a unique outcome, but to a superposition of all outcomes, which quickly diverge along their separate paths. Thus, if physical constants, the dimension of space (time, etc.) can differ in parallel quantum branches at level III, then they will also differ in parallel universes at level II.
In other words, a Level III superuniverse adds nothing new to what exists in Levels I and II, only more copies of the same universes - the same historical lines developing again and again on different quantum branches. The heated debate surrounding Everett's theory appears to be soon subsided by the discovery of the equally grandiose but less controversial superuniverses of Levels I and II.
The applications of these ideas are profound. For example, this question: does the number of universes increase exponentially over time? The answer is unexpected: no. From the bird's point of view, there is only one quantum universe. What is the number of separate universes for a frog at a given moment? This is the number of noticeably different Hubble volumes. The differences may be small: imagine planets moving in different directions, imagine yourself married to someone else, etc. At the quantum level, there are 10 to the power of 10,118 universes with a temperature no higher than 108 K. The number is gigantic, but finite.
For a frog, the evolution of the wave function corresponds to an infinite movement from one of these 10 to the power of $10^(118)$ states to another. You are now in Universe A, where you are reading this sentence. And now you are already in universe B, where you read the next sentence. In other words, there is an observer in B who is identical to the observer in universe A, with the only difference being that he has extra memories. At every moment, all possible states exist, so that the passage of time can occur before the eyes of the observer. This idea was expressed in his science fiction novel “Permutation City” (1994) by writer Greg Egan and developed by physicist David Deutsch from Oxford University, independent physicist Julian Barbour, and others. As we see, the idea of a superuniverse may play a key role in understanding the nature of time.
Level IV
Other mathematical structures
The initial conditions and physical constants in the superuniverses of levels I, II and III may differ, but the fundamental laws of physics are the same. Why did we stop here? Why can't the physical laws themselves differ? What about a universe that obeys classical laws without any relativistic effects? What about time moving in discrete steps, like in a computer? What about a universe that is an empty dodecahedron? In a Level IV superuniverse, all of these alternatives actually exist.
SUPERUNIVERSE LEVEL IV
Universes may differ not only in location, cosmological properties or quantum states, but also in the laws of physics. They exist outside of time and space and are almost impossible to depict. Man can only view them abstractly as static sculptures representing the mathematical structures of the physical laws that govern them. Consider a simple universe consisting of the Sun, Earth and Moon, all subject to Newton's laws. For an objective observer, such a universe appears to be a ring (the Earth’s orbit, “smeared” in time), wrapped in a “braid” (the Moon’s orbit around the Earth). Other forms represent other physical laws (a, b, c, d). This approach allows us to solve a number of fundamental problems in physics.
The fact that such a superuniverse is not absurd is evidenced by the correspondence of the world of abstract reasoning to our real world. Equations and other mathematical concepts and structures—numbers, vectors, geometric objects—describe reality with surprising verisimilitude. Conversely, we perceive mathematical structures as real. Yes, they meet the fundamental criterion of reality: they are the same for everyone who studies them. The theorem will be true no matter who proved it - a person, a computer or an intelligent dolphin. Other inquisitive civilizations will find the same mathematical structures that we know. Therefore mathematicians say that they do not create, but rather discover mathematical objects.
There are two logical, but diametrically opposed paradigms of the relationship between mathematics and physics, which arose in ancient times. According to Aristotle's paradigm, physical reality is primary, and mathematical language is only a convenient approximation. Within the framework of Plato's paradigm, it is mathematical structures that are truly real, and observers perceive them imperfectly. In other words, these paradigms differ in their understanding of what is primary – the frog point of view of the observer (Aristotle’s paradigm) or the bird’s view from the heights of the laws of physics (Plato’s point of view).
Aristotle's paradigm is how we perceived the world from early childhood, long before we first heard about mathematics. Plato's point of view is that of acquired knowledge. Modern physicists (theorists) are inclined towards it, suggesting that mathematics describes the Universe well precisely because the Universe is mathematical in nature. Then all physics comes down to solving a mathematical problem, and an infinitely smart mathematician can only calculate a picture of the world at the level of a frog based on fundamental laws , that is, to calculate what observers exist in the Universe, what they perceive and what languages they have invented to convey their perceptions.
Mathematical structure is an abstraction, an unchanging entity outside of time and space. If the story were a movie, then the mathematical structure would correspond not to one frame, but to the film as a whole. Let's take for example a world consisting of particles of zero dimensions distributed in three-dimensional space. From the point of view of a bird, in four-dimensional space (time), particle trajectories are “spaghetti.” If a frog sees particles moving at constant speeds, then the bird sees a bunch of straight, uncooked “spaghetti.” If a frog sees two particles revolving in orbits, then the bird sees two “spaghetti”, twisted into a double spiral. For the frog, the world is described by Newton’s laws of motion and gravity, for the bird – the geometry of “spaghetti”, i.e. the frog itself is a thick ball of them, the complex interweaving of which corresponds. a group of particles that store and process information. Our world is more complex than the example considered, and scientists do not know which mathematical structure it corresponds to.
Plato's paradigm contains the question: why is our world the way it is? For Aristotle, this is a meaningless question: the world exists, and that is how it is! But Plato's followers are interested: could our world be different? If the Universe is essentially mathematical, then why is it based on only one of many mathematical structures? It seems that a fundamental asymmetry lies in the very essence of nature.
To solve the puzzle, I hypothesized that mathematical symmetry exists: that all mathematical structures are physically realized, and each of them corresponds to a parallel universe. The elements of this superuniverse are not in the same space, but exist outside of time and space. Most of them probably don't have observers. The hypothesis can be seen as extreme Platonism, asserting that the mathematical structures of Plato's world of ideas, or "mental landscape" by mathematician Rudy Rucker of San Jose State University, exist in a physical sense. This is akin to what cosmologist John D. Barrow of Cambridge University called the “p in the heavens,” philosopher Robert Nozick of Harvard University described as the “fertility principle,” and philosopher David K. Lewis ) from Princeton University called “modal reality.” Level IV closes the hierarchy of superuniverses, since any self-consistent physical theory can be expressed in the form of a certain mathematical structure.
The Level IV superuniverse hypothesis makes several testable predictions. As at level II, it includes the ensemble (in this case, the totality of all mathematical structures) and selection effects. In classifying mathematical structures, scientists must note that the structure that describes our world is the most general of those consistent with observations. Therefore, the results of our future observations should be the most general of those that are consistent with the data of previous research, and the data of previous research should be the most general of those that are generally compatible with our existence.
Assessing the degree of generality is not an easy task. One of the striking and reassuring features of mathematical structures is that the properties of symmetry and invariance that keep our universe simple and orderly are generally shared. Mathematical structures usually have these properties by default, and getting rid of them requires introducing complex axioms.
What did Occam say?
Thus, theories of parallel universes have a four-level hierarchy, where at each subsequent level the universes are less and less like ours. They may be characterized by different initial conditions (level I), physical constants and particles (level II) or physical laws (level IV). It's funny that level III has been the most criticized in recent decades as the only one that does not introduce qualitatively new types of universes.
In the coming decade, detailed measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation and the large-scale distribution of matter in the Universe will allow us to more accurately determine the curvature and topology of space and confirm or disprove the existence of Level I. The same data will allow us to obtain information about Level II by testing the theory of chaotic eternal inflation. Advances in astrophysics and high-energy particle physics will help refine the degree of fine-tuning of physical constants, strengthening or weakening Level II positions.
If efforts to create a quantum computer are successful, there will be an additional argument for the existence of layer III, since parallel computing will use the parallelism of this layer. Experimenters are also looking for evidence of violation of unitarity, which will allow them to reject the hypothesis of the existence of level III. Finally, the success or failure of the attempt to solve the most important problem of modern physics - to combine general relativity with quantum field theory - will answer the question about level IV. Either a mathematical structure will be found that accurately describes our Universe, or we will hit the limit of the incredible efficiency of mathematics and be forced to abandon the Level IV hypothesis.
So, is it possible to believe in parallel universes? The main arguments against their existence are that they are too wasteful and incomprehensible. The first argument is that theories of the superuniverse are vulnerable to Occam's razor (William Occam, a 14th-century scholastic philosopher who argued that concepts that are not reducible to intuitive and experiential knowledge should be banished from science (the "principle" Occam's razor"), since they postulate the existence of other universes that we will never see. Why should nature be so wasteful and “have fun” by creating an infinite number of different worlds? However, this argument can be turned in favor of the existence of a superuniverse. In what ways is nature wasteful? Of course, not in space, mass or number of atoms: an infinite number of them are already contained in level I, the existence of which is beyond doubt, so there is no point in worrying that nature will use up any more of them. The real issue is the apparent decrease in simplicity. Skeptics are concerned about the additional information needed to describe invisible worlds.
However, the entire ensemble is often simpler than each of its members. The information volume of a number algorithm is, roughly speaking, the length of the shortest computer program that generates this number, expressed in bits. Let's take for example the set of all integers. What is simpler - the whole set or a single number? At first glance, it’s the latter. However, the former can be constructed using a very simple program, and a single number can be extremely long. Therefore, the entire set turns out to be simpler.
Similarly, the set of all solutions to the Einstein equations for a field is simpler than each specific solution - the first consists of only a few equations, and the second requires specifying a huge amount of initial data on a certain hypersurface. So, complexity increases when we focus on a single element of the ensemble, losing the symmetry and simplicity inherent in the totality of all elements.
In this sense, the superuniverses of higher levels are simpler. The transition from our Universe to a Level I superuniverse eliminates the need to specify initial conditions. Further movement to level II eliminates the need to specify physical constants, and at level IV there is no need to specify anything at all. Excessive complexity is just a subjective perception, a frog's point of view. And from the perspective of a bird, this superuniverse could hardly be any simpler.
Complaints about incomprehensibility are aesthetic, not scientific, and are justified only in an Aristotelian worldview. When we ask a question about the nature of reality, shouldn't we expect an answer that may seem strange?
A common feature of all four levels of the superuniverse is that the simplest and apparently most elegant theory involves parallel universes by default. To reject their existence, it is necessary to complicate the theory by adding processes that are not confirmed by experiment and postulates invented for this purpose - about the finiteness of space, the collapse of the wave function and ontological asymmetry. Our choice comes down to what is considered more wasteful and inelegant - many words or many universes. Perhaps over time we will become accustomed to the quirks of our cosmos and find its strangeness charming.
Max Tegmark (“In the World of Science”, No. 8, 2003)
British scientists from Oxford have proven the existence of parallel worlds. The head of the scientific team, Hugh Everett, explained this phenomenon in detail, MIGnews writes on Friday.
Albert Einstein's theory of relativity was a consequence of the creation of the parallel worlds hypothesis, which ideally explains the nature of quantum mechanics. She explains the existence of parallel worlds even using the example of a broken mug. There are a huge variety of outcomes of this event: the mug will fall on a person’s foot and will not break as a result, the person will be able to catch the mug as it falls. The number of outcomes, as scientists previously stated, is unlimited. The theory had no basis in fact, so it was quickly forgotten. During Everett's mathematical experiment, it was established that, being inside an atom, one cannot say that it really exists. To establish its dimensions, you need to take an “outside” position: measure two places at the same time. Thus, scientists have established the possibility of the existence of a huge number of parallel worlds.
Parallel world: Will a person be able to live in another dimension?
The term “parallel world” has been familiar for a long time. People have been thinking about its existence since the beginning of life on Earth. Belief in other dimensions appeared with man and was passed down from generation to generation in the form of myths, legends and tales. But what do we, modern people, know about parallel realities? Do they really exist? What is the opinion of scientists on this matter? And what awaits a person if he ends up in another dimension?
Opinion of official science
Physicists have long been saying that everything on Earth exists in a certain space and time. Humanity lives in three dimensions. Everything in it can be measured in height, length and width, therefore within these frameworks the understanding of the universe in our consciousness is concentrated. But official, academic science recognizes that there may be other planes that are hidden from our eyes. In modern science there is a term “string theory”. It is difficult to understand, but is based on the fact that in the Universe there is not one, but several spaces. They are invisible to people because they exist in a compressed form. There can be from 6 to 26 such measurements (according to scientists).
In 1931, the American Charles Fort introduced a new concept of “teleportation places”. It is through these areas of space that you can get to one of the parallel worlds. It is from there that poltergeists, ghosts, UFOs and other supernatural entities come to people. But since these “doors” open in both directions - into our world and one of the parallel realities - then it is possible that people can disappear into one of these dimensions.
New theories about parallel worlds
The official theory of a parallel world appeared in the 50s of the twentieth century. It was invented by mathematician and physicist Hugh Everett. This idea is based on the laws of quantum mechanics and probability theory. The scientist said that the number of possible outcomes of any event is equal to the number of parallel worlds. There can be an infinite number of similar options. Everett's theory was criticized and discussed among scientific luminaries for many years. However, recently, professors from Oxford University were able to logically confirm the existence of realities parallel to our plane. Their discovery is based on the same quantum physics.
Researchers have proven that the atom, as the basis of everything, as the building material of any substance, can occupy different positions, that is, appear in several places at the same time. Like elementary particles, everything can reside at several points in space, that is, in two or more worlds.
Real examples of people moving into a parallel plane
In the mid-nineteenth century in Connecticut, two officials, Judge Wei and Colonel McArdle, were caught in the rain and a thunderstorm and decided to hide from them in a small wooden hut in the forest. When they entered there, the sounds of thunder ceased to be heard, and all around the travelers there was deafening silence and pitch darkness. They groped for a wrought-iron door in the darkness and looked into another room full of a faint greenish glow. The judge walked in and instantly disappeared, and McArdle slammed the heavy door, fell to the floor and lost consciousness. Later, the colonel was found in the middle of the road far from the location of the mysterious building. Then he came to his senses, told this story, but until the end of his days he was considered crazy.
In 1974, in Washington, one of the employees of the administrative building, Mr. Martin, went outside after work and saw his old car not where he left it in the morning, but on the opposite side of the street. He walked up to it, opened it and wanted to go home. But the key suddenly did not fit into the ignition switch. In a panic, the man returned to the building and wanted to call the police. But inside, everything was different: the walls were a different color, the telephone was gone from the lobby, and there was no office on his floor where Mr. Martin worked. Then the man ran outside and saw his car where he had parked it in the morning. Everything returned to its usual places, so the employee did not report the strange incident that happened to him to the police, and only spoke about it many years later. The American probably found himself in parallel space for a short time.
In an ancient castle near Comcrieff in Scotland, two women disappeared one day, unknown to where. The owner of the building, named McDogli, said that strange things happen in it and there are old occult books. In search of something mysterious, two elderly ladies secretly climbed into a house that the owner had abandoned after an ancient portrait fell on him one night. The women entered the space in the wall that appeared after the painting fell and disappeared. Rescuers were unable to find them or any trace of the tartans. There is a possibility that they opened a portal to another world, entered it and did not return.
Will people be able to live in another dimension?
There are different opinions about whether it is possible to live in one of the parallel worlds. Although there are many cases of people crossing into other dimensions, none of those who returned after a long stay in another reality completed their journey successfully. Some went crazy, others died, and others unexpectedly grew old.
The fate of those who crossed through the portal and ended up in another dimension forever remained unknown. Psychics constantly say that they come into contact with creatures from other worlds. Supporters of the idea of anomalous phenomena say that all the missing people are in those planes that exist parallel to ours. Maybe everything will become clearer if there is a person who can get into one of them and return back, or if the missing suddenly begin to appear in our world and describe exactly how they lived in a parallel dimension.
Thus, parallel worlds may be another reality that has remained virtually unexplored over all the millennia of human existence. Theories about them still remain only guesses, ideas, conjectures, which modern scientists have only explained a little. It is likely that the universe has many worlds, but do people need to know about them and get into them, or is it enough for us to simply exist peacefully in our own space?
