Reality Theory Abstract

Perspectives on the Multiverse Theory: an excerpt from The Wonder of the World: A Journey From Modern Science to the Mind of God, pages 252-254

The recurrence of the cyclic model in cosmology is matched by the appearance under different guises of the multiverse theory, the notion that there are an infinite number of universes. One variant of it was the Many Worlds interpretation of quantum physics. Every quantum event in the cosmos, like the collapse of the wavefunction of a particle, creates multiple new universes. A new universe is created for every possible outcome of the quantum event. These new universes themselves split into other universes and all the universes evolve in parallel. There's no way to prove the theory since no physical evidence is possible in principle; no contact is possible between any of the universes. Another evidence-less multiverse idea is the theory that black holes create baby universes because of their enormous energies, and these also evolve in parallel. Again, we cannot reach out and touch these universes since it's impossible to make it in and out of a black hole. The latest multiverse idea, we have seen, is the bubble universe model of the inflationary theorists. In Linde's model, universes spring out of quantum energy-fields at random everywhere and all the time. Astronomers like Martin Rees have speculated that the apparent fine-tuning in the universe exists because at least one of the infinitely many universes will have the particular constants and conditions that made life possible. He admits, however, that the scientific case for a multitude of universes lies on the speculative fringe of cosmology; the idea is built on guesses not laws or evidence.

Certainly there's no prohibition on theorists concocting theories that can't be scientifically verified immediately. At that point the theories become metaphysical and should be judged as philosophies. But if a theory is to qualify as scientific it can't wander too far from...