When I first discovered the multiple universe theory, the idea of infinite worlds where anything physically possible happened sounded beautiful. But upon deeper thought I realized the concept jars with my fundamental beliefs. Endless possibility entails a dark side, and it is one I find hard to accept.
It is true that infinite universes can be a wonderful idea. If true, it means that there is a place where earths inhabitants would be aliens to us, a country ruled by children, and a Glenbrook North where I have aced every one of my tests.
These realities exist because as time goes on, the amount of multiverses becomes larger and larger, as does the spectrum of possible realities. Much time has elapsed since the big bang, and so nearly anything within the laws of physics could be possible in some universe.
But the possibility of nearly anything logically leads to the existence of nearly everything. This being said, there is place where earths inhabitants have been killed off, a country under a brutal and genocidal dictatorship for thousands of years, and a Glenbrook North where I have dropped out of school.
While the final scenario happens to thousands of teens a year, the first two have never occurred. While this could be the workings of random luck and the human spirit, I believe there is a force manipulating the world on a quantum level, making careful decisions appear as pure chance.
I would rather believe that this chance is a facade because I do not wish to live with uncertainty in the fate of the human race. A grand plan, even a loose and subtle one, means security. If someone or something is looking out for the universe as a whole, then we will seldom stray from the right track.
But if endless possibility exists, than there is no right track. Our continued success is merely one in an almost infinite number of success stories. And to balance each one out is a world where everything went wrong, and suffering is the normal state. It is bad enough to know that within my world I live in abundance while others cannot live at all. But it devalues any meaning at all to my joy if it is merely one route in a traffic circle of gain and sorrow.
This uncomfortable humbling makes it tempting to deny the existence of alternate universes altogether. Indeed, they remain pseudoscience in that no evidence will over prove their existence. They are a philosophy with little ties to everyday life, and so it is no great crime to disregard the idea.
But there is nothing to say the theory is not fact either, The lack of science application leaves the idea in a limbo between truth and lie which resists classification and thus satisfaction on my part.
Perhaps the best course of action is still just to focus on my own life. After all, the universes are by definition completely separate, so there is absolutely nothing I can do to influence any one other than my own. I continue to believe in free will. Thus the actions I or any person will choose end up limiting the multiverses to the decisions we would ever make I cannot change what never happened, but I can certainly work to ensure that some situations never happen in any future universe.
The salvation of the human race may be in that very work, and our drive to make sure it succeeds. Life may be different elsewhere, but when life ends up human, so too does the spirit of humanity emerge. History has shown that whether humans are in a world war, an economic crisis, or even global pandemic, empathy and happiness will eventually prevail. There is no chance they wont.
Nina dives into the Multiple Universe Theory which is the idea that for every event that occurs, new universes are created in which consequences of the event play out. She concludes that as we have no ability to verify this theory, the best we can do is to focus on our own universe and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with Nina that we create consequences from the way we live our lives, we should not ignore the possible impact of theories like this one. I have a strong personal belief in a higher power; this is not testable and the Nobel committee will never be able to award a prize for either proving or discrediting the existence of God. Nevertheless, religion is one of the pillars of my life. We can use these ideas — be it religion or unproven scientific conjecture — to positively affect our lives.
Even though my faith is not falsifiable, it still provides reassurance when I am frustrated, upset, or down. The idea that God is watching over me and protecting me helps me to feel less stress, anxiety, and anger. In a similar way, one of my close friends is very quiet and shy yet extremely comforting. He may not outwardly project it, but I know that I can count on him if I ever need a close friend. In the case of religion, even if God does not exist, the concept of a heavenly “best friend” soothes my nerves and provides that voice in my ear that tells me everything will be for the best. If my friend were to move away suddenly, I would still know I could give him a call if I needed reassurance or friendship.
With regard to the Multiple Universe Theory, we can use it to instill empathy and compassion for others. The idea, even if false, that in some universe I do not reside in affluent Northbrook, Illinois but instead in war-torn Somalia or Afghanistan helps the disasters we hear about hit home. A typhoon in Bangladesh or a civil war in Eritrea seems like just another one of those world problems that so often are found on the news — until you consider that I might be one of those homeless refugees or child soldiers.