What is the multiverse?

Well, the concept of multiverse circles around the belief that yes, there really are more than one universe and they all exist at the same time (sometimes even in the same place). Hypothetically, this means that in each of these universes, there can be a different version of you – let’s call them multi-you’s. And all these multi-you’s are running around living lives that are better, worse, or just plain the same as yours. It sounds pretty cool.

Many people, from full-blown scientists to avid comic book fans, believe in the multiverse. Like DC’s Multiverse, which presents readers with different earths. It was explored in The CW’s The Flash when Barry Allen & Co. traveled between them and interacted with their Earth 2 selves. Marvel does the same with its many time traveling characters - X-Men being the prime example.

Physics even backs it up (albeit they’re all theories, but those are basically fact in science, right?) I found this great article that gives 5 theories that could prove multi-dimensionality; But if you don’t have time to read Clara Moskowitz’s awesome theory, I’ve broken each down for you here:

1) Infinite Universes

If the space-time continuum is infinite, doesn’t that mean it has to repeat at some point? And keeps repeating forever? So an infinite number of universes and an infinite number of you’s is out there somewhere.

2) Bubble Universes

This has to do with the theory of “eternal inflation” which posits that the universe expanded rapidly after the Big Bang and while some parts of it stopped “inflating” after awhile, other parts didn’t, creating these little “bubbles” i.e. bubble universes.

3) Parallel Universes

I actually knew this one from when I studied string theory! Parallel universes or “braneworlds” are like strings that hover just out of reach of each other. Basically, the theorists believe that there are many more dimensions that exist other than our 3 spacial (height, length, width) and 1 temporal (time). There can be other sets of 4 like that AKA other whole universes. And sometimes, scientists say, those universes intersect unknowingly – so if you ever think you ran into someone’s doppelganger, maybe it was just parallel universe them for the short time you guys collided!

4) Daughter Universes

This stems from the theory of quantum mechanics. This has to do with probability and choices. Let’s say you come to a crossroads and you can either go left or right. These choices produce two daughter universes – one where you go right and one where you go left. So every time you have to make a choice, daughter universes are born. That means there are billions! Here’s this great site if you want to learn more.

5) Mathematical Universes

For all you math haters out there, bare with me here. As we all know, there are many different ways for a person to reach an answer in math – different mathematical structures. And our universe is built by those structures. So there could be other universe out there, but they’ve just been created by a different structure.

Let’s take this even further. Let’s say the multi-you’s we previously discussed aren’t necessarily separate from you. So you share weird memories that might not have actually happened in your universe, but they happened in another. Crazy theory, right? It’s called the Mandela Effect and it was a theory by Fiona Broome. Maybe that’s why I can’t remember last week? Some other me lived it? And maybe that other me can’t remember what they had for breakfast because it was actually me eating it? Have I blown your mind yet? Here's a better explanation if I bungled it up.

It got its name from a discussion about whether Mandela died in prison or not. People were comparing memories that seemed to fit an alternate history and didn’t come form our timestream. But what if that’s because it is from a different timestream, one that bleeds in and out of the one we currently live in. So we have all these memories, some of which conflict.

I know this all seems pretty out of this universe (yes that’s a pun). But I find it sort of comforting, If I’m having a terrible week, at least I know that one of the multi-me’s has to be having a better time of it. Somewhere in some universe, everything is going right for some me. That’s a nice thought.

But other people? I can also see why some would have a problem with the multiverse. It would kind of suck if your life in this ‘verse was terrible and everything you are going through means nothing in comparison to all the other multi-you’s who might be living it up. Or what happens if your life sucks in every universe? An infinite amount of miserable multi-you’s? That’s far from comforting. It’s actually downright terrifying.

Or what about the thought that your choices don’t really mean anything? That everything you’ve gone through in your life has been for naught? Because it turned out differently in another universe? That pretty much invalidates your whole existence.

So should you believe in the multiverse? If you were an optimist, I’d say yes – hope that there’s something better out there might be all that’s keeping you going. So keep on keeping on. For all my fellow pessimists out there, though, I’d say you should go for it as well – Maybe all your multi-you’s really are miserable, but maybe you’re the least miserable of the bunch. That’s not too bad!

When it comes down to it, we really don’t have the technology to get solid answers. So for now, it’s just you in this one life in this one universe. It’s your choices that matter and it’s your choices that will make or break you. I think that’s enough to make me get my act together and work on being the best this-universe-me I can be.

It’s, literally, all up to you. And who knows, maybe in a universe not so far away, a multi-you hopes you’re somewhere out there too.

For anyone who’s interested in a great movie that shows a little bit of string theory and daughter universes, check out Mr. Nobody starring Jared Leto on Netflix. It'll be on your mind for weeks!