11 Apr Could Another You Exist in a Parallel Universe?

By Ayah Orynbay

Imagine if there was another universe where you decided to dye your hair pink or neon green. According to quantum physics theories about human existence, this version of you could be real. 

The concept of the multiverse has been around since 1954, when physicist Hugh Everett III brought up the idea of the universe constantly splitting based on our decisions. He coined the “many-worlds” interpretation of quantum mechanics, which theorizes that the infinite amount of parallel universes is determined by the infinite amount of ways matter could be organized. In other words, every time you make a decision—whether that be eating cereal for breakfast instead of toast or studying instead of procrastinating—another universe is created where you make the alternate decision. 

But where are these universes? In the Level III multiverse (also called the “quantum multiverse”) theory formulated by MIT professor Max Tegmark, universes overlap in dimensions we can’t access, but all obey the same laws of physics. In contrast, another theory known as inflationary cosmology describes a Level II multiverse where the laws of physics can be different across universes. This conjecture involves the theory of the big bang, which states that around 13.8 billion years ago, our universe was an infinitely small singularity that suddenly burst, expanding into the universe we now recognize as home in less than a second. This exponential expansion at the beginning of the universe is known as cosmic inflation. This phenomena has led many scientists to believe that cosmic inflation occurred multiple times and created multiple universes. According to theoretical physicist Alexander Vilenkin, this inflation only ended for everything we can detect from Earth 13.8 billion years ago, but continues in other places, creating new universes as a result. This is also known as the theory of eternal inflation. The theory suggests that when inflation ends in one place, a new universe bubble forms. Since all of the bubbles are expanding at speeds faster than light, we will never be able to reach another universe aside from our own. 

There is currently no concrete evidence of other universes existing. There is also no way to disprove the theory. We can not see farther outside of our universe, which creates tons of possibilities for what might be out there. But is it really worth the hassle to give credence to a theory if there is no way to test it? That is for you to decide.