Infinite Realities

[TimeWizardCosmo]

Infinite Realities

The concept of infinite alternate realities is really blowing my mind. I was just wondering if someone could clear something up for me.

To my understanding, every possible action creates an alternate universe. For example: WWII happened in one reality, did not happen in another. MLK was shot in one reality, was not shot in the other.

How far down does it go though? Is there a reality in which the only differnce is that I wore a different t-shirt today? Or one where There are 4 pencils on my desk instead of 3?

Seems like an awfully big waste of space to create a universe based just on that

 

[Jean-Jacques Mass]

Infinite Realities

Heggy, yes, according to the parallel world theory there are an infinite number of universes for every possible action. These differences can be as large as a universe being made of antimatter instead of matter, and as small as one atom in a different place. In one universe the only difference in its entire existence might be that a molecule of water in your glass is in a different place within the cup.

The crux of the Many Worlds Theory is that at any instance where a quantum event has more than one outcome, the universe splits so that both outcomes occur simultaneously but in different universes. Basically it says that anything that can happen, does.

You can find a thorough discussion about the theory here, and there is a nice, simple explanation of it here as well.

 

[TimeWizardCosmo]

Infinite Realities

*in a Frank Barone voice* Holy crap....

I didn't think it went THAT far down to the molecular level. Thanks for the links man

Jeez, so there's a universe in which the only difference is that you didn't put a period at the end of your sentance... Can it ever fill up with universes? I'm not quite sure what "it" is....

 

[John]

Infinite Realities

I tend to lean against the "infinite possibilities" or "infinite time lines" rule because it implodes on itself and leads to non existence.

I will explain this using the following analogy:

As has been mentioned by Jean-Jacques Mass? and many others have supported that the infinite time lines/possibilities scenario is true and in which every possibility exists. So, the possibility that everyone in the world replicates themselve by 100 trillion fold and all of a sudden know how to travel through time lines, have bombs that will blow up entire universes and are suicidal exists. This would mean that they could and would travel through every time line and destroy it and then destroy themselves. Some may say I am taking this to the extreme, but extremes exist in infinity, every possibility does. Therein lies, in my opinion, the flaw in the infinite possibility theory, it must self destruct itself given logic and probability.

Now, I can agree that there are a FINITE, but large, number of time lines that are governed by the same set of physics. This would prevent the "rogue time line massacre" scenario while at the same time acknowledging the multiple time line theory.

 

[TimeWizardCosmo]

Infinite Realities

Okay, so if there are a finite number of timelines, what constitutes a divergance from the current timeline?

 

[John]

Infinite Realities

Originally posted by TheHeggy@Oct 15 2004, 11:33 AM
Okay, so if there are a finite number of timelines, what constitutes a divergance from the current timeline?

​

Any change from one to the next.

 

[Jean-Jacques Mass]

Infinite Realities

Theoretically Heggy it goes down as far as matter does and even to the energy that makes it up. As for your question, "does it ever fill up?" the answer is no (according to most of the theories). There are several reasons for this.

According to quantum field theory and non-relativistic quantum mechanics, these other "worlds" (which can simply be thought of as alternate realities) exist in the same time and space as we do. The reason we aren't aware of these worlds has been explained by claiming that they split off into other, orthogonal, dimensions. These dimensions are not the familiar space-time, but rather dimensions of Hilbert space.

In theories of quantum gravity, the answer is more complicated, because gravity can be thought of as perturbations in the space-time metric. If we take this interpretation we can regard differently curved space times, each with their own distinct thermodynamic history, as non-coeval (not having the same age, duration or origin). If this is true, then we only occupy the same space-time manifold with the other worlds with a macroscopically similar mass distribution. This manifold can be thought of as a loaf of bread, with each amplification of the quantum-scale interactions effecting the mass distribution (and hence the space-time curvature), causing the "loaf" to be split into discrete sheets.

Therefore, "it" can be thought of (depending on the theory you're looking at it from) as another orthogonal dimension or a manifold of space-time.

 

[StarLord]

Infinite Realities

Just as size has no bearing on our observable reality, basically a grain of sand could hold a galaxy, coupled with the quantum change on matter due to thought and the abundance of dark matter, I think that its the really important 'decisions' in a persons life that have or cause the divergence. I don't think a split would occur due to a 2 or three pencil on the desk choice.

Who knows, it's possible that ALL of our individual alternates having to do with lives here on the earth are stored in the grains of sand on all the beaches of the world.

 

[John]

Infinite Realities

Grains of sand on a beach are numerous but finite, like timelines. Otherwise..."suicidal-timeline jumping hordes".

EDIT: Off to lunch. See you all later.

 

[TimeWizardCosmo]

Infinite Realities

So, is this how JT traveled through time? (Assuming he was the real deal) Say he travelled between universes where our "big bang" had happened 36 years later, therefore it was 2000 instead of 2036.

Maybe I'm totally off the mark.