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Discovering the intangible
IS there another version of you reading this article? Do we have only four dimensions? Is there only one universe? Confused, aren’t you? Well don’t be, for cosmology, the branch of astronomy and astrophysics that deals with the universe taken as a whole, holds answers to all these questions. The theory of parallel universes is intriguing, as it suggests that the universe we live in may not be the only one — in fact, there could be another universe, identical to ours.
Scientists now believe there may really be a parallel universe — in fact, there may be an infinite number of parallel universes and we just happen to live in one of them. These universes contain space, time and strange forms of matter. Some of them may even contain you, in a slightly different form. You probably find this idea ludicrous and implausible and I must confess that this was my instant reaction, as well. But after studying different theories, I am quite confident of the fact that there are universes, other than our own.
Michio Kaku, a professor of theoretical physics at City University, New York says that there could be an infinite number of universes each with a different law of physics. Our universe could be just one bubble floating in an ocean of other bubbles.
Let me explain this by a very simple example. Have you ever wondered about life beneath the sea? The sea is like a universe, with creatures swimming in it. They spend their whole life underwater, imagining that this is the only universe that exists. There is no life for them outside it, as they have different laws of physics. What will happen if I lift a fish out of water? Our world will appear to be a completely different universe for the fish, as we humans have legs and arms, instead of fins and we breathe air, instead of water. The fish will then realize that the universe in which they live is not the only one, but in fact, there are other universes which may exist beyond their imagination.
The theory of parallel universes was invented by physicists during the fifties and sixties. It appeared as a new way to draw inferences and rationalize some of the bizarre findings of quantum physics and relativity. Quantum physics (the study of sub-atomic particles) and cosmology shed new light on how mind interacts with matter.
Einstein’s theory of relativity, Stephen Hawking’s wave function of the universe, quantum theory, superstring theory and hyperspace theory compel us to accept the idea that there is more than one universe.
Wave function of the universe
Stephen Hawking, one of the founders of quantum cosmology, believe that the ultimate questions of cosmology can be answered only through the quantum theory. He took quantum cosmology to its ultimate conclusion, allowing the existence of infinite numbers of parallel universes.
According to the quantum theory, we can define the probability of finding a particle at a certain place. For example, imagine that a large, irregular thundercloud fills up the sky — we can rapidly estimate the probability of finding large concentrations of water and dust in certain parts of the sky. Similarly, we can find the probability of finding other universes by looking at their wave functions.
The wave function of the universe is most likely concentrated around our universe, because the probability is highest in this regard. However, there is a small but non-vanishing probability that the wave function prefers neighboring, parallel universes. Thus transitions between universes may be possible, although with a low probability.
Hidden dimensions
Before jumping to the next theory, let me introduce you to hyperspace. The real mystery behind parallel universes are hidden-dimensions. We take for granted that our everyday world has four dimensions, but many physicists define the universe as a 10-dimensional hyperspace. Just like the fourth dimension which is time, higher dimensional spaces are also impossible to visualize.
The prominent German physicist, Hermann von Helmoltz, compared the inability to “see” the higher dimension with the inability of a blind man to conceive the concept of colour. Hyperspace significantly filled up gaps in two major theories of the past and has given our thoughts a new dimension.
Theory of everything
The two great theories upon which all physical knowledge is based upon were Einstein’s theory of relativity and the quantum theory. Despite of their success, these two theories are different in almost every way. The greatest challenge of all time is to unite these two theories into a consistent, coherent picture giving birth to the “Theory of Everything,” also known as Superstring theory.
Superstring theory combines relativity and quantum physics in an elegant, intuitive way. For decades, theorists failed to roll up the gravitational and quantum field into one set of equations. But with the help of higher dimensions, these two theories can mesh perfectly.
Theoreticians imagine the core components of the universe as tiny loops of string or membranes vibrating in 10 dimensions. Different resonances of the vibrations correspond to different types of particles. If we had a super microscope and could peer at an electron, we would see a string vibrating in a certain way. By shaking the string, the electron starts vibrating in a different mode and can turn into something else, such as a quark, the fundamental constituent of protons and neutrons. Shake it again, and the string could vibrate in the mode which describes photons (the quanta of light). Shake it again and it turns into a graviton (the quanta of gravity).
Superstring theory has emerged from infancy and has become one of the dominant areas of research. A recent discovery shows the possibility that there might even be a hidden eleventh dimension. But we still have to go a long way to solve the theory and settle intriguing theoretical questions about the existence of other universes.
A ride to the other world
There are numerous ways of going into other universes and black holes are one of them. A black hole is a region of space-time from which nothing can escape, not even light. Black holes can only provide the point of entrance, but there should be a point of exit, a “white hole,” or else, the body will be lost inside.
This is where wormholes come into action. According to the theory, if a black hole that formed somewhere in space can connect with a corresponding white hole (on the other side of the universe), it will create a doorway or “vortex” connecting two different universes.
An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a geometrical property of a black hole that manifests itself on the other side of the black hole, where another set of dimensions are attached to the one from our universe. This creates a passage through this bridge and hence, into another universe, making it a mathematical possibility.
Do we really need that ride?
I often wonder if there is a point to going into a parallel universe? The only reason people will want to travel to other universe is if they are disgruntled with their own life. They might go, hoping that the grass will be greener on the other side.
However, the chances are of that happening are slim and they could find themselves in a worse situation. Often the problem lies within us and unless we change our attitude towards life, parallel universes cannot change anything.
There is a possibility that we may come up with a machine that could speed up the process, making us more aware of those messages from the future, in order to help us make the right decision and perhaps change the course of history. Of course such a situation is merely hypothetical at this point.
Quantum computers
There is no question about the existence of parallel universes. We have the proof in terms of theories and quantum computers. In a quantum computer, the fundamental unit of information (called a quantum bit or qubit), is not binary but rather more quaternary in nature. A qubit can exist in multiple states at a time. In other words, a qubit can exist as 0, 1, or simultaneously as both 0 and 1.
Keep in mind that a particle can be at many places. Similarly two or more particles can be found at different places or in our case, different universes at the same time.
The concept of parallel universe seems a bit difficult at this point, but a great number of physicists are convinced that parallel universes exist. As Albert Einstein, in one of his profound moments said, “the truth of a theory is in your mind, not in your eyes.”
The writer
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