World War II didn't happen. But, you died at birth.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

I hope that other "self" in one of those universes had as good a time as I thought I would have when that girl said "no" and, instead said "yes".

Seriously, I find this concept fascinating and entirely reasonable.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=paUniverse_sun14_parallel_universes&show_article=1&cat=0

Parallel universes exist - study
Sep 23 11:33 PM US/Eastern


Parallel universes really do exist, according to a mathematical discovery by Oxford scientists described by one expert as "one of the most important developments in the history of science".

The parallel universe theory, first proposed in 1950 by the US physicist Hugh Everett, helps explain mysteries of quantum mechanics that have baffled scientists for decades, it is claimed.

In Everett's "many worlds" universe, every time a new physical possibility is explored, the universe splits. Given a number of possible alternative outcomes, each one is played out - in its own universe.

A motorist who has a near miss, for instance, might feel relieved at his lucky escape. But in a parallel universe, another version of the same driver will have been killed. Yet another universe will see the motorist recover after treatment in hospital. The number of alternative scenarios is endless.

It is a bizarre idea which has been dismissed as fanciful by many experts. But the new research from Oxford shows that it offers a mathematical answer to quantum conundrums that cannot be dismissed lightly - and suggests that Dr Everett, who was a Phd student at Princeton University when he came up with the theory, was on the right track.

Commenting in New Scientist magazine, Dr Andy Albrecht, a physicist at the University of California at Davis, said: "This work will go down as one of the most important developments in the history of science."

[TornadoTN]

1. Those of us who have been reading Comics already knew this!

Sorry, I'm a geek at heart. :toast:

[XemaSab]

8. Not to mention His Dark Materials!

:toast:

[unpossibles]

12. What if....

...I were not a jerk?!?

:)

yes, I love this concept. Also, scifi nerds know this - have you ever read Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle? Great book.

[txaslftist]

2. I dunno about WWII; but Vietnam definitely did NOT happen.

If it had really happened, we'd have learned something from it and not repeated it, step for step, in Iraq.

[Zywiec]

3. Awesome! Definitely something to think about tonight over some beers. n/t

[Hydra]

4. I would like to see them prove this

because I always thought it was logical. The singular universe idea is as unlikely as our planet being the only one on which complex life exists. The universe doesn't like exceptions to relative trends.

On edit

I hope your other self had as much fun with that girl as I mine did :evilgrin:

[annabanana]

9. I think they are actually on this road

theoretical mathematics-wise (which is the best kind)

[PDenton]

15. the problem I have is

how would you observe another universe to confirm this theory? To me, this hypothesis sounds almost religious, not scientific. As far as models go, it might be useful but it is just a model. There are alot of other scientific models that may or may not be actual representations of what happens, too (which is why they are called models and not "facts" or "theories"). The wave/particle model of light, for instance. Both explaing the behavior of light under different circumstances.

I wouldn't be surprised if eventually scientists arrive at the explanation quantuum mechanics is affected by human consciousness in some way. In fact I think some fringe scientists have suggested it.

[Hydra]

17. I remember a friend talking about 4 dimensional objects

And I asked him how they could be sure such things exist...after all, we can't graph "time." He said that we could observe "shadows" of the 4 dimensional objects- kinda like how we cast 2 dimensional shadows, but we are 3 dimensional.

And hey, if we can split and atom, we can probably manage to find a dimensional intersection.

[PDenton]

19. A dimension is not another universe, though

I'm not sure "time" would actually be a dimension. From what I gather, most scientists believe time is not a constant. It is a result of entropy (a concept in the Law of Thermodynamics), things tend to go from a high-energy concentrated state to a low energy dispersed state. You have a cup on a table, it has potential energy. You drop it, that becomes kinetic energy and loses potential energy. It hits the floor and breaks. You cannot put it back together again without expending energy. If things tended to gather energy and concentrate, time would run backwards. The dust on the ground would gather together into shards, then gather into a teacup, and the teacup would hop back up on the table.

[brainshrub]

5. So, according to this - I won last week's lottery

... at least in some parallel dimension?

ON EDIT - Wait a second... doesn't this imply that all beings are immortal? After all, there must be a dimension out there where I never die.

[Bonobo]

6. I have felt like we are in one of those alternate universes since the 2000 election.

I belong in the world where Gore is just finishing up his 2ndd term and the US leads the world in saving the planet and I have hope that my children will grow old in a cleaner, healthier world.

[alphafemale]

7. But if I never existed how did I ever decide to make WWII not happen...hmmm? Smarty pants? nt

[Vincardog]

14. The theory is that there is a universe where every possible choice and or action has happened.

It leads to a nihilistic view where there is no religion morals or purpose to anything. The reasoning being that there is no value to any choice as the opposite choice is also make in the parallel universe. Since every choice (and its' opposite) is ultimately made none has any value.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Or, a Buddhist view that this is the universe you live in and you must

"chop wood and carry water".

[PDenton]

10. This sounds bizarre

If it could be proven... which I doubt, it would have large implications for philosophy and religion. Maybe even things as esoteric as the legal profession.

So far it just sounds like a hypothesis that explains phenomena.

[Mythsaje]

11. My books are based on this theory...

Not exactly a new one in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, but still... I like to think I did something unique with it.

[JuniperLea]

13. Carl Sagan is surely smiling down on this

He was great about explaining other dimensions, and the mathematical probabilities of such things.

Humans are so self-absorbed and egocentric, and I think it shows when they try to poo-poo ideas such as this.

I'd love to see God proved a reality, and find that She is living in an parallel universe:)

[Javaman]

18. and what if asshole rove didn't fuck with the 2000 election?

so a version of me is living a normal happy life with out a war, without a moron* for a prez, without a world that just despises us, without additional stress, without a nation divided by stupidity, without a government that's run by a theocracy, without a prez* that hears voice, drinks, takes god knows what kind of drugs and can barely get through a single sentence without making a mistake.

I only have one thing to say to my parallel self, "self, fuck you, you don't know how fortunate you are, you lucky bastard!"

Like I always say...

I get so tired of living in an alternative universe.

[Solly Mack]

20. I have got such a big grin on my face

Thanks for posting!!!!

[Clintonista2]

21. So are we republicans in the other universe?

:puke::puke::puke:

[halobeam]

22. In this universe, I began my journey

by watching "What the bleep". I craved to go layers deep "into the rabbit hole" (some four or five disks).

I have always wondered though, is there really a me who is answering the questions, that I now, here, are asking?

I want to switch, damnit.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. That's kind of like Chuang-tzu's question.

"Last night Chuang-tzu dreamed he was a butterfly..or, was it a butterfly dreaming he was Chuang-tzu?"

[lumberjack_jeff]

24. Hey, wanna contemplate something?

If there are (for all practical purposes) an infinite number of universes in which you're doing your thing, why does your consciousness inhabit this one? Perhaps your universe is the best case scenario for you?

In other words, is it unreasonable to theorize that you (in your universe) will live to be 150? On the other hand, doesn't it suck to know that this is as good as it gets?

In retrospect, every "near miss" in your life worked to your favor, dead people don't reminisce. Does it work the other way 'round?