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Multiverse

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Mysteries of the Multiverse

Name: Assif Khan
Student no:
Subject: PCS-181

The term multiverse has many nicknames including but not limited to quantum universes, alternate universes, alternate realities etc. But, what is the multiverse? If one was to look up the meaning of the word, the definition that is provided in the Oxford Dictionary states “a hypothetical space or realm consisting of a number of universes, of which our own universe is only one”1. The use of the term multiverse or its other moniker parallel universe, has been used in cosmology, physics, and philosophy to perhaps more prominently in science-fiction literature and movies for decades. Ever since Edwin Hubble discovered that the universe is expanding in the 1920s, …show more content…

Though existence of multiverse has not been proven to be a fact as of yet, the primary concern regarding the validity of multiverse theory is the fact that the existence of multiverse is not observable nor scientifically testable. Science is based on validity, reproducibility and the pursuit of truth. However, how does one prove the existence of something, if it is purported to exist outside of our visual horizon? Unlike distant stars, we have yet to see light, emitted from a parallel universe through a telescope. So, the argument against multiverse theory is that it is a belief, rather than a proven scientific fact and it is hypothetical in nature. And prioritizing hypothesis over observational confirmations is a mistake that scientists are not afforded to make. George Ellis4, Professor of mathematics from University of Cape Town supports this view by suggesting that even if there were infinite number of universes, infinite is a mathematical entity rather than a physical one and therefore, we could not count the infinite galaxies in a finite time and thus, it is impossible to prove the existence of infinite universes through mathematical tests and observations. And if it cannot be tested, why should it be any more scientifically valid than metaphysics or astrology?

But, defenders of multiverse theory point to Kant and his speculation regarding some nebulae being “island universes” 5

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