4 Multiverses You Might Be Living In

Could parallel universes exist? If so, what would they look like and how would they form? 

Many physicists believe there is a strong connection between the inflationary multiverse and an important feature of string theory; for more see: WGBH

Although there is not yet evidence favoring the quantum multiverse over several other interpretations of quantum mechanics, it is still consistent with the results of every quantum experiment ever conducted.

CREDITS

Produced, animated, and edited by Greg Kestin

Editorial help from Kate Becker, Anna Rothschild, and Lauren Aguirre

A special thanks to Andrew Friedman

Original Footage
© WGBH Educational Foundation 2014

MEDIA RIGHTS

Music:
Night Music, Air Prelude, Not as it Seems, and Comfortable Mystery 3 by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) CC By 3.0

Images:
Bicep2: Courtesy of National Science Foundation
Big Bang, Galaxies, and Cosmic Web: Courtesy of NASA

Evidence Of The Existence Of 'Multiverse'

Revealed For The First Time By Cosmic Map

Scientists studied radiation data gathered by Planck telescope
Claim anomalies show gravitational pull from other universes
Could be the first real evidence to support controversial theory

The first 'hard evidence' that other universes exist has been found by scientists.

Cosmologists studying a map of the universe from data gathered by the Planck spacecraft have concluded that it shows anomalies that can only have been caused by the gravitational pull of other universes.

The map shows radiation from the Big Bang 13.8billion years ago that is still detectable in the universe - known as cosmic microwave radiation.

Scientists had predicted that it should be evenly distributed, but the map shows a stronger concentration in the south half of the sky and a 'cold spot' that cannot be explained by current understanding of physics.

Laura Mersini-Houghton, theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Richard Holman, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, predicted that anomalies in radiation existed and were caused by the pull from other universes in 2005.

Now that she has studied the Planck data, Dr Mersini-Houghton believes her hypothesis has been proven.

Her findings imply there could be an infinite number of universes outside of our own.

She said: 'These anomalies were caused by other universes pulling on our universe as it formed during the Big Bang.

'They are the first hard evidence for the existence of other universes that we have seen.'

Detailed: Planck data has been used to create a map of light from when the universe was just 380,000 years old

Better quality: Previous maps of radiation (left) were not as detailed as the recent Planck map (right)

Although some scientists remain sceptical about the theory of other universes, these findings may be a step towards changing views on physics.

The European Space Agency, which runs the £515million Planck telescope, said: 'Because precision of Planck’s map is so high, it made it possible to reveal some peculiar unexplained features that may well require new physics to be understood.'

Cambridge professor of theoretical physics Malcolm Perry told the Sunday Times that the findings could be real evidence of the existence of other universes.

While George Efstathiou, professor of astrophysics at the university, told the newspaper: 'Such ideas may sound wacky now, just like the Big Bang theory did three generations ago. But then we got evidence and now it has changed the whole way we think about the universe.'

Welcome To The Multiverse

The multiverse (or meta-universe) is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes (including the historical universe we consistently experience) that together comprise everything that exists and can exist: the entirety of space, time, matter, and energy as well as the physical laws and constants that describe them. The term was coined in 1895 by the American philosopher and psychologist William James. The various universes within the multiverse are sometimes called parallel universes.

The structure of the multiverse, the nature of each universe within it and the relationship between the various constituent universes, depend on the specific multiverse hypothesis considered. Multiple universes have been hypothesized in cosmology, physics, astronomy, religion, philosophy, transpersonal psychology and fiction, particularly in science fiction and fantasy. In these contexts, parallel universes are also called "alternative universes", "quantum universes", "interpenetrating dimensions", "parallel dimensions", "parallel worlds", "alternative realities", "alternative timelines", and "dimensional planes," among others.