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Parallel Universes
Scientific American ^ | May 2003 | Max Tegmark

Posted on 06/25/2003 7:42:21 AM PDT by Junior

Is there a copy of you reading this article? A person who is not you but who lives on a planet called Earth, with misty mountains, fertile fields and sprawling cities, in a solar system with eight other planets? The life of this person has been identical to yours in every respect. But perhaps he or she now decides to put down this article without finishing it, while you read on.

The idea of such an alter ego seems strange and implausible, but it looks as if we will just have to live with it, because it is supported by astronomical observations. The simplest and most popular cosmological model today predicts that you have a twin in a galaxy about 10 to the 1028 meters from here. This distance is so large that it is beyond astronomical, but that does not make your doppelgänger any less real. The estimate is derived from elementary probability and does not even assume speculative modern physics, merely that space is infinite (or at least sufficiently large) in size and almost uniformly filled with matter, as observations indicate. In infinite space, even the most unlikely events must take place somewhere. There are infinitely many other inhabited planets, including not just one but infinitely many that have people with the same appearance, name and memories as you, who play out every possible permutation of your life choices.

Entire Article

Overview / Multiverses

(Excerpt) Read more at sciam.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: physics
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To: Physicist
Thank you so much for the heads up!

Max Tegmark's article is illuminating and verrrry timely!

Until now, all the attempts to explain the alternative multi-verse views, that I have read, have been shotgun at best. They never before gave the reader an opportunity to "get their arms around" the subject. I've excerpted the Tegmark article now and again and have repeatedly referred Lurkers to it in various discussions here.

Personally, as a Platonist I am in agreement with the Level IV in Tegmark’s article. His frog/bird metaphor is superb for visualizing extra-dimensionality. Strangely, that helps also in understanding Burt Ovrut’s ekpyrotic cosmology even though the dimensions hypothesized are essentially parallel.

21 posted on 06/25/2003 8:09:13 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: CJ Wolf
that must mean that there are two hillaries too! AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHH! the horror!

Yeh but the other hillary married Hugh Hefner, had LOTS of plastic surgery, and graces the cover of the 1969 Playboy magazine.

22 posted on 06/25/2003 8:09:47 AM PDT by Just another Joe (FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: CJ Wolf
that must mean that there are two hillaries too! AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHH! the horror!

Well, that would certainly explain the repulsive force that's driving the universe apart.

23 posted on 06/25/2003 8:13:31 AM PDT by r9etb
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To: Junior
The universes are only parallel to a Democrats standard of factuality.
They actually are just more or less, kinda, maybe, in the same general direction.

So9

24 posted on 06/25/2003 8:15:31 AM PDT by Servant of the Nine (A Goldwater Republican)
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To: js1138
You're probably right. I'm a writer by training, not a mathemetician.
25 posted on 06/25/2003 8:17:30 AM PDT by Junior ("Eat recycled food. It's good for the environment and okay for you...")
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To: Junior
Tales From A Parallel Universe?

When do we leave!?


26 posted on 06/25/2003 8:20:11 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (®)
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To: Just another Joe
Not sure I'd want to see that even with plastic surgery.
27 posted on 06/25/2003 8:24:41 AM PDT by Myrnick ("Hey, Lama! How about a little somethin' for the effort?")
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts
Just think. There are universes in which Jane Fonda makes endless sequels to Barbarella.
28 posted on 06/25/2003 8:25:21 AM PDT by js1138
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To: Myrnick
Not sure I'd want to see that even with plastic surgery.

Hey, look what it did for Micheal Jackson. (quick duck and cover)

29 posted on 06/25/2003 8:26:38 AM PDT by Just another Joe (FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: Just another Joe
Saddam had some of those. I don't imagine their fate was too pleasant even in all those other universes!
30 posted on 06/25/2003 8:31:28 AM PDT by Arkie2 (It's a literary fact that the number of words wriiten will grow exponentially to fill the space avai)
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To: Arkie2
I don't imagine their fate was too pleasant even in all those other universes!

Ah, but if my other was the Beloved Emperor of the Universe I wouldn't have to worry. I just make spot appearances where the actual can't get to.
And suck up all the benefits of course.

31 posted on 06/25/2003 8:34:29 AM PDT by Just another Joe (FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: Junior
Is there a copy of you reading this article? A person who is not you but who lives on a planet called Earth, with misty mountains, fertile fields and sprawling cities, in a solar system with eight other planets?

If there is, why is HE the one that sold all of his Internet stocks and used the proceeds to buy out-of-the-money QQQ puts in late March of 2000? Huh, why? And can he loan me some money?

32 posted on 06/25/2003 8:44:07 AM PDT by Ancesthntr
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To: Junior
Somewhere out there, Monica didn't dribble, and President Gore is still wondering what to do about all the AlQaida attacks on US soil..
33 posted on 06/25/2003 8:48:02 AM PDT by Paradox
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To: js1138
I'd rather entertain myself with visions of a parallel universe in which Jane Fonda was shot for treason upon disembarking from her plane when she returned from Hanoi.
34 posted on 06/25/2003 8:48:20 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (®)
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To: Junior
bump for later
35 posted on 06/25/2003 8:49:18 AM PDT by iceskater
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To: Alamo-Girl
WHAT?????
36 posted on 06/25/2003 9:13:34 AM PDT by carenot
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To: Junior
I am not really an expert on Cosmology, but I suspect that the author of this article isn't one either. Let me state a why I think this is bogus (and why Scientific American should know better):

Most mainstream Physicists believe in the Big Bang. The Big Bang theory stipulates that at the beginning the volume of the universe was zero. After that, it expanded (extremely rapidly) and continues to do so, such that the total volume of the universe grew and continues to grow at a high but finite rate. If you start with something finite (zero) and over a finite period of time add finite quantities to it, you end up with something finite. My Point? The universe is just big, not infinite. Something around 5*10^9 to 20*10^9 light years across. Big yes, but 10^10^28 light years? Give me a break!

I suppose poeple do enjoy reading an article like this, but I thought Scientific American tries to be scientific.
37 posted on 06/25/2003 9:18:09 AM PDT by thirdheavenward
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To: Junior
Maybe in the other universe I took the BLUE PILL!?!?
38 posted on 06/25/2003 9:19:55 AM PDT by The Duke
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To: The Duke
Now that is funny! :)
39 posted on 06/25/2003 9:23:43 AM PDT by carenot
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To: CJ Wolf
"that must mean that there are two hillaries too!

Actually, many more that two, and at least one of those Hillary's is Republican.

How's THAT for scary?

40 posted on 06/25/2003 9:27:19 AM PDT by Lloyd227
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