As a possible form of matter we apparently don't have in our universe:

When matter and antimatter contact each other, they mutually annihilate into a blaze of energy. Now, imagine a material substance that when it contacts matter, instead of a blast of energy, we simply see the reaction yields 'nothing'. Equal weights of both materials simply disappear from our universe.

Now, imagine a material that reacts the same way with antimatter.



OK, here's the mind bender:

what happens when the first hypothetical material contacts the second ?

If the physical constants are highly constrained, there may be a 'mega-verse' chock full of universes very similar to our own.

(March 19, 2015 at 10:41 am)Chuck Wrote: Besides mere incredulity, what other basis do have have for thinking parallel universes are "stupid"?

Is that not enough?

What basis do you have for thinking they are plausible let alone possible? If something seems incredulous I'm not inclined to entertain the notion. But the reason I made this thread is that so many scientists seem to do exactly that. All I want to know is why. Why entertain what is a seemingly ludicrous proposition on the face of it. Perhaps more ludicrous than believing in god. To me at least.

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(March 19, 2015 at 1:40 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: How can you say it's stupid when more and more of them are saying the opposite?

That's why I asked the question. What, because a bunch of people say something's likely I'm just supposed to agree?

The concept of a round world seemed stupid until people noticed evidence to the contrary. Perhaps I'm simply ignorant of some facts that make it more than plausible.

As it is though, I don't see any reason why we would take heed of the idea of parallel universes, but not the idea of some ultimate creator god. They both seem as silly to me.

But again, that's why I asked. Maybe other people know something I don't.

There are reasons why multiple universes seem not only possible and plausible but necessary. Alan Guth (the father of inflation) sees them as an inevitable result of inflation for instance. The Brian Green video posted up-thread should explain it.

This idea has been been floating around for quite some time. Like I said, it's really been gaining traction of late in part because of string theory and now, inflation. Whether it's right or not, who knows. Theoretical physicists are not always right of course but they're not inclined to go chasing after wild ideas half-cocked. The fact that so many of them take it seriously speaks volumes to me.

I can understand the idea of infinite/parallel universes. But why do people seem to think they would be mirror versions of our own with slight differences? Exactly the same but for books being hot. That's what seems so incredulous to me, and whenever I watch documentaries on it they always portray it that way.

That MUST occur in an infinity of universes because there are only so many ways the matter in a universe can be arranged. If you have a literal infinity of universes, some are going to be duplicates or close copies. Obviously, the great majority of universes would be nothing like ours.

I don't believe all multiverse scenarios involve an infinity of universes but many of them do.

(March 19, 2015 at 3:57 pm)SeanBean Wrote: I can understand the idea of infinite/parallel universes. But why do people seem to think they would be mirror versions of our own with slight differences? Exactly the same but for books being hot. That's what seems so incredulous to me, and whenever I watch documentaries on it they always portray it that way.

For those extra universes to be interesting, they need to be 'similar' to ours.

It doesn't take much of a change in the constants of our universe, the physical laws of our universe, the nature of time, the amount of matter in our universe to generate something that while it might be stupendously and weirdly beautiful, it would nevertheless be incompatible with life.

One of the funniest imaginings of a possible universe was on Futurama.

And of course, it was the universe identical in every way to our universe, except it was 10 feet lower.

I don't know anything about parallel universes, but I laughed so hard at the video, my neighbor heard me snort and started laughing at me.

I do somewhat agree with SeanBean about one thing. Even in an infinite number of universes, why should all conceivable possibilities be realized? Maybe it'll never get to the point in any universe that all books are too hot to touch because of certain limits imposed by nature and rational thinking. I mean, it doesn't make any sense to make all books that exist in a universe too hot to touch.

hmmm... weird, I posted this a few minutes ago, but.... maybe I clicked preview instead of post.

Anyone remember this series?