Multiversal

A recent observation appearing to confirm expansionist cosmological theory leads in an interesting direction:

On Monday, March 17, scientists announced new findings that mark the first-ever direct evidence of primordial gravitational waves — ripples in space-time created just after the universe began. If the results are confirmed, they would provide smoking-gun evidence that space-time expanded at many times the speed of light just after the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago.

The new research also lends credence to the idea of a multiverse. This theory posits that, when the universe grew exponentially in the first tiny fraction of a second after the Big Bang, some parts of space-time expanded more quickly than others. This could have created "bubbles" of space-time that then developed into other universes. The known universe has its own laws of physics, while other universes could have different laws, according to the multiverse concept.

"It's hard to build models of inflation that don't lead to a multiverse," Alan Guth, an MIT theoretical physicist unaffiliated with the new study, said during a news conference Monday. "It's not impossible, so I think there's still certainly research that needs to be done. But most models of inflation do lead to a multiverse, and evidence for inflation will be pushing us in the direction of taking [the idea of a] multiverse seriously."

One of the most fascinating ideas that springs from the concept of a multiverse, which the article only hints at toward the end, is repeatable infinity. The premise: if there are an infinite number of effectively infinite universes, then everything that could possibly happen will happen, has happened, and is happening -- forever. Put another way, every movie you've ever watched and every book you've ever read is, in some corner of the multiverse, a reality. True infinity does not allow otherwise. By extension, every possible outcome of your life, at every juncture and decision, has been played out in some other universe, along with every variation, and is doing so repeatedly, forever. In that sense, at least, everyone is immortal.

It's impossible to truly grasp the idea of repeatable infinity and multiversal existence, of course. We are finite creatures moving linearly in time and space, so it is by definition impossible for us to really comprehend. But it makes for great science fiction -- especially when you consider that science fiction is, under that theory, reality. Ipso facto, the multiverse exists simply because we've conceived it to exist. Circular logic? Perhaps. But one could also say that all of quantum mechanics is based upon circular logic, and we're building real devices -- quantum computers and faster-than-light transmission devices -- based upon quantum principles.

Go home, get drunk, then think about it. It makes more sense when your brain is freed of everyday restrictions, believe me. Besides, IT'S FRIIIDAAAAY! Try this; it's my new favorite.