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I'm sure you've heard it before. There are articles, documentaries and even scientists/physicists/logical thinkers that suggest, speaking with some semblance of credibility, that there could be an infinite amount of parallel universes. The whole "we don't know what's beyond our own universe so let's make up any random idea for the fuck of it"...
I swear I watched a documentary with Lawrence Krauss that suggested this very thing may not only be possible, but plausible, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was called.
Doesn't matter. Essentially, I think the idea of parallel universes is flat out stupid. It doesn't make any sense to me nor does it seem plausible in the slightest. It's as good as suggesting a divine creator exists. But why then have I seen so many seemingly scientific documentaries, people, articles and so on, mention this like it is even the most vaguely plausible possibility? Why do they make mention of parallel universes in such a way?
I'm eager to see what other people think on this. Is the video I post an accurate description of what the possibilities of parallel universes might entail? Would we really be willing to entertain the thought that universes where dinosaurs still exist yet are invisible are an actual possibility? Is it a even a possibility?
The best solution is just to leave the answer as undifined. There are in fact issues with the formulation of this question itself. The notion "parallel universe" is very speculative.
March 19, 2015 at 7:28 am (This post was last modified: March 19, 2015 at 7:30 am by Alex K.)
Can't watch vid right now.
There are two very different notions of parallel Universe that I'm aware of. One, and arguably the more radical one, is the multitude of states one gets out of the relative state, or many-worlds, interpretation of quantum mechanics. The other is the somewhat more mundane version where many neighboring pockets of space drop out of inflation separately. If there's something like string theory or similar, where the laws of physics are not fixed but depend to a certain extent on the geometry of the 10 dimensions, these universes can settle with very different laws of physics, and are more or less neighbouring rather than parallel.
To me, the many worlds interpretation of Quantum Mechanics seems to be the most parsimonious and least problematic one, but would I bet my life on it, probably not. We can rather believe that inflation is real, and if space as a whole is infinite, there are bound to be many other universes next to ours. But we don't know whether space is infinite, so there. I find it quite plausible that there are at least some more, because nature doesn't seem to be very frugal anyways, and the thought that nature is so simple that it contains only our observable universe and what is connected to it, seems to me like it needs justification.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
"All" possible universes, IOW, every variation of physical laws, number of dimensions, strength and direction of the arrow of time, (dimensionality of time too ?) amount of mass, varieties of mass, same for energy, same for stuff besides mass and energy we don't have, and fractional dimensions and all kinds of other unimaginables.
The other universes don't have to be simultaneous and adjacent to ours, or preceding or succeeding, or overlapping or reachable.
[dizzy]
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
(March 19, 2015 at 6:49 am)SeanBean Wrote: Okay, so the following video is a laugh. But it does highlight exactly why I think the notion of parallel universes is stupid as fuck.
I'm sure you've heard it before. There are articles, documentaries and even scientists/physicists/logical thinkers that suggest, speaking with some semblance of credibility, that there could be an infinite amount of parallel universes. The whole "we don't know what's beyond our own universe so let's make up any random idea for the fuck of it"...
I swear I watched a documentary with Lawrence Krauss that suggested this very thing may not only be possible, but plausible, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was called.
Doesn't matter. Essentially, I think the idea of parallel universes is flat out stupid. It doesn't make any sense to me nor does it seem plausible in the slightest. It's as good as suggesting a divine creator exists. But why then have I seen so many seemingly scientific documentaries, people, articles and so on, mention this like it is even the most vaguely plausible possibility? Why do they make mention of parallel universes in such a way?
I'm eager to see what other people think on this. Is the video I post an accurate description of what the possibilities of parallel universes might entail? Would we really be willing to entertain the thought that universes where dinosaurs still exist yet are invisible are an actual possibility? Is it a even a possibility?
Thoughts?
Besides mere incredulity, what other basis do have have for thinking parallel universes are "stupid"?
March 19, 2015 at 1:02 pm (This post was last modified: March 19, 2015 at 1:02 pm by JuliaL.)
(March 19, 2015 at 6:49 am)SeanBean Wrote: Okay, so the following video is a laugh. But it does highlight exactly why I think the notion of parallel universes is stupid as fuck.
I'm sure you've heard it before. There are articles, documentaries and even scientists/physicists/logical thinkers that suggest, speaking with some semblance of credibility, that there could be an infinite amount of parallel universes. The whole "we don't know what's beyond our own universe so let's make up any random idea for the fuck of it"...
I swear I watched a documentary with Lawrence Krauss that suggested this very thing may not only be possible, but plausible, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was called.
Doesn't matter. Essentially, I think the idea of parallel universes is flat out stupid. It doesn't make any sense to me nor does it seem plausible in the slightest. It's as good as suggesting a divine creator exists. But why then have I seen so many seemingly scientific documentaries, people, articles and so on, mention this like it is even the most vaguely plausible possibility? Why do they make mention of parallel universes in such a way?
I'm eager to see what other people think on this. Is the video I post an accurate description of what the possibilities of parallel universes might entail? Would we really be willing to entertain the thought that universes where dinosaurs still exist yet are invisible are an actual possibility? Is it a even a possibility?
Thoughts?
Hilarious!
Dunno & don't qualify to have a useful opinion on the poll. I went with the apple answer.
I thought parallel universes were a speculative tool to fill holes in mathematical models of our universe. As such aren't they just as real as any other parameter---like time.
So how, exactly, does God know that She's NOT a brain in a vat?
I went with plausible and possible because the idea is really picking up steam in the physics community if it's not mainstream already. The only ones qualified to have personal opinions are theoretical physicists though. How can you say it's stupid when more and more of them are saying the opposite?
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
It is stupid when put through the lens of Hollywood.
Maybe the problem is the "parallel" part.
Like Alex K said, if there are other universes out there, they shouldn't be parallel, but neighboring. They're just different from ours... the probability that things play out in those universes just like they did within our universe but slightly different is... well... not impossible, but not likely either, I'd wager.
![[Image: extraordinarywoo-sig.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/zf86M5L7/extraordinarywoo-sig.jpg)
