Friday, February 24, 2012
Across the Multiverse
Physicist Alejandro Jenkins is asking the question, is there life in other universes? Published is Scientific American, Jenkins poses a controversial hypothesis known as the anthropic principle, which states that the
existence of intelligent life
imposes constraints on the possible form of the laws of physics. "Our lives here on Earth -- in fact, everything we see and know about
the universe around us -- depend on a precise set of conditions that
makes us possible," Jenkins said. "For example, if the fundamental
forces that shape matter in our universe were altered even slightly,
it's conceivable that atoms never would have formed, or that the element
carbon, which is considered a basic building block of life as we know
it, wouldn't exist. So how is it that such a perfect balance exists?
Some would attribute it to God, but of course, that is outside the realm
of physics." However, when one considers the concept of the multiverse, it is possible that we could occupy the universe where conditions are right for organic evolution. He and colleague Gilad Perez have concluded that it is possible for life to exist in other universes. This life could look unlike anything we could imagine. Jenkins said, "this actually brings into question the usefulness of the anthropic
principle when applied to particle physics, and might force us to think
more carefully about what the multiverse would actually contain."
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So, help me get this straight, Jenkins believes that, because of the delicate and somewhat improbable balance of our existence, it is more likely that balance exists elsewhere? Perhaps I'm dense, but that's a little bit baffling to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to think of the best way to explain this, because I think I understand what he is saying. People are always saying that by a serious of specific events and situations, our world came to be as we know it. If any variables were any different, the world would not exist as it does. We've heard this before, Mark delivered this speech before he yelled at someone for sleeping in class. What I believe Jenkins is saying is that, if many Universes exist, it is possible that the changeable variables are different in all the Universes. In these universes, worlds and solar systems develop. Our earth exists in the appropriate solar system. Does that make sense?
DeleteYes, I know. That was way more than 60 words.
DeleteJenkins has a very good point. But at the same time, it is hypothesized that, because the multiverse is composed of multiple copies of an original universe, it can support life in many different circumstances. It is theorized that the multiverse exists because our universe has been copied, and that we are living in a simulation universe on the outer edge of a black hole--this theory can lend to the idea that there are other universes with the same anomalies as ours--such as human life.
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