Cosmologists in the UK have come up with a test to see if our universe has any neighbors (other universes). I didn't think such a test was possible, since it would mean that our universe can interact with other universes, which is a crazy thought, but apparently it might be possible. From what I've gleaned from the article, they are looking for specific anomalies in the cosmic microwave background radiation which would indicate that our universe "bumped" into other universes at some point, likely when it was forming. They've generated two images of what the CMB radiation should look like, one with the collision anomalies and one without, and they seem to be in the process of comparing the two images to actual data to see which image is closest to reality. Source: http://scienceblog.com/46860/first-observational-test-of-the-‘multiverse‘/
I've subscribed to this theory for a few years now. If this turns out to be correct, it's like christmas for me. Thank you for the aware!
^A bit, I suppose. The big difference here is that the theory is predicting undiscovered patterns in the data rather than trying to explain observed patterns, as is the case with hypotheses about the cold spot.
I've always thought the multiverse theory was the most elegant, i'm hoping they manage to prove it...
If they do prove it, it will be the the most disturbing revelation in the history of cosmology since Copernicus, and possibly exceeding even that. Imagine, not only are we miniscule creatures living on a tiny rock orbiting an unimportant ball of gas in a virtually endless universe that we could never hope to fully explore, but the universe itself might be an insignificant bubble in an infinite ocean of universes. That is the kind of cosmic horror that HP Lovecraft wrote about. Things get really bizarre if someone manages to confirm the Many Worlds interpretation.
There is another thread on this, but the op quoted discover magazine. Seems like the magazine overstated it, made it seem conclusive.
That's not really how it is TBH - at least not for science or me. The many universes idea has been a possibility for a long time within cosmology. Do a wiki on 'multiverse' and you'll see how long we've thought about it, all the possibilities and how we might look for other universes. If we find out it's true, some scientists will say 'I told you so', others will say 'damn!' but at no point will we be disturbed by the idea. Science already understands that we are unimportant and insignificant. Why should it matter? The godly though, I think they will have a hard time with it.... MelT Edit: I forgot to add: Copernicus discovery wasn't disturbing to then science either, but it was to the church and the religious who believed that god had placed us at the centre of reality.
I feel infinitesimally small as it is starting into the night sky. It's a scary realisation if it is proven true, but I have always held this theory in my mind as being one of the more sound ideas we have.
I wasn't talking about the world of science. This is the kind of thing that would disturb some deep thinkers, or at least I think it would. Like budlung, I also feel ridiculously small when confronted with a starry sky, and for me, the idea of a "superuniversal" structure (if I may) of universes beyond our universe is more than a bit unsettling. Does that mean that there could be more superuniversal structures out there? And could they be a part of one of many even larger supersuperuniversal structures? Could these structures extend infinitely in scope and complexity? Where does it end?
My conclusion: We will never know, we will always debate, we will always ponder, and we will die without coming close to any answer because every fucking answer leads into more questions and theories with more answers to more questions and theories... Depressing.
At first we thought the earth was the only thing in the universe, then we discovered our solar system, then we discovered our galaxy, then we discovered other galaxies. I wouldn't be surprised if we found that our observable universe isn't the only thing out there.
Ah, I see, a personal persepective. I'm intrigued, why does it make you feel unsettled? I've always felt small when compared to the universe; knowing that there are more universes ad infinitum doesn't make me feel any smaller, so I can't quite appreciate what you mean? I feel....invigorated...knowing that there IS more. We aren't and have never been the centre of the universe or the reason for existence, so I can't feel disturbed by it. Bring it on I say! MelT
I don't feel disturbed by it either.. It's expected though, at least upon how I look at things I was prepared I suppose
I'm sure you've all seen this before, but it's worth revisiting even if you have: The Scale of the Universe If you're not at all disturbed by it, then I guess it really can't be explained, but I'll try. When I realize how meaningless and insignificant I am compared with the vastness of the universe/multiverse/multiverses, I have this involuntary mental reaction that I think is best described as something like vertigo. If I think about it long enough, I realize that not only am I a miniscule fragment of a tiny speck of dust, but I'm adrift in a vast cosmic sea that none of us really understands, subject to unthinkable tides and forces on galactic and universal scales. Our entire planet could be destroyed in an instant by an unnoticed asteroid, and it would be less important to the universe than losing a flake of dead skin would be to you.
The great thing about life is the journey. It's not about where you end up. The journey towards the answer is what I find to be captivating, and if I were to know everything there is to know, I think that would be much more depressing than knowing the answers to everything to the point where there are no more questions.