Enter the Multiverse

How we explain what we don’t really understand

Written by Esther Hale

The multiverse. An idea that came about in the 20th century along with the disorienting theories of quantum mechanics. The concept that there are infinite parallel universes that all exist simultaneously together. Lucky for us we get to live in a universe that has ALL the Spidermans. 

So, hypothetically, infinite versions of each of us exist, living in worlds where literally anything is possible…

Allow me to expand.

Science is founded on a handful of particular, irrevocable axioms. One of the most important is measurement. Beyond observation, the condition that makes measurement possible, a hypothesis can become a recognized theory only when the results of the experiment performed are measured, and can be exactly replicated by any other scientist in the world with the same results. So, while we have yet to make contact with another universe (although Asimov did write an excellent novel about that particular “what if”), there are plenty of strange observations of our universe that scientists are adamantly trying to explain via a beautiful rainbow of theories. 

One such observation is what we nerds call Dark Matter. 

Dark matter is a mysterious substance that is only detectable by its gravitational effect on other, observable objects. Dark matter emits no electromagnetic energy (i.e. no light in any spectrum), no strong or weak nuclear force. We only see that the bits of space we CAN measure should be flying apart into the great void of the cosmos if they operated by their own gravitational pull. But there’s something else that prevents them from doing so. Something else provides enough mass (the fundamental building block of matter) to keep galaxies together throughout the thread and weave of spacetime. 

Through various observations, astrophysicists have determined that according to the patterns of movement of galaxies and clusters of galaxies, we can measure about 2% of the total mass through normal scientific instruments such as the Hubble Space Telescope. The other 98% surely must be there in some strange form, because without it the dance of the stars couldn’t exist. Just because we can’t measure it directly, doesn’t mean it’s not there. 

And this is exactly the sort of preface that the deep inner skeptic within us all should be paying attention to. The fundamental understanding of our world is based on a series of ideas that we as a collective humanity have attempted to define using what resources and logic we can access. And by no means should we disregard what marvelous things we’ve been able to theorize and then prove through our methods of measurement and observation. 

But even science can get caught in its own trap of circular pursuits. Often alternative perspectives, particularly indigenous and ancestral frameworks, get pushed aside and lost in the frenzy of objective thought. But, assuming infinite parallel universes, there might be at least one in which ancient wisdom was not only preserved, but integrated into a modern understanding of the cosmos. What would that universe look like? What, if anything, would be different? 

There’s no way to know what life is like in other worlds, but perhaps the pursuit of ALL knowledge is worth exploring. And who knows where the possibilities could lead. 

For exploring multiversal contact, read The Gods Themselves by Sir Isaac Asimov.