![]() But it was only in the 20th century that astronomers and physicists began to talk about multiple universes in the terms we use today. Philosophers have pondered a multiplicity of worlds at least since the ancient Greeks. (Credit: Paramount/Courtesy: Everett Collection) Evolving Models In the Star Trek episode “Mirror, Mirror,” which first aired in 1967, Captain Kirk and crew must escape from a parallel universe before being discovered by their nefarious counterparts. (If scientists can’t agree about how many universes exist, how can the public be sure there’s a consensus on the reality of climate change, or the efficacy of vaccines?) Writing in the journal Nature in 2014, physicists George Ellis and Joe Silk describe the debate over the multiverse as a “battle for the heart and soul of physics.” After all, how could worlds that we can never visit - or even detect - possibly affect anyone’s life? But the stakes are higher than they appear: Critics caution that legitimizing the multiverse could make it harder for the public to distinguish science from speculation, making it more difficult to keep pseudoscience at bay. The debate over the existence of unseen universes may seem rather pie-in-the-sky. Sabine Hossenfelder, a theoretical physicist at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, has called the multiverse “the most controversial idea in physics.” But physicists didn’t pull the idea out of thin air - rather, several distinct lines of reasoning seem to point to the multiverse’s existence, bolstering the idea’s merit. Advocates on the two sides show no mercy toward each other in their books, on their blogs, and, of course, on Twitter. Ask a prominent physicist whether they believe in a multitude of universes beyond our own, and you’ll get either a resounding yes or a vehement no, depending on whom you encounter. While Hollywood can’t seem to get enough of the multiverse, it remains deeply controversial among scientists. Read More: Is the Multiverse Theory Science Fiction or Science Fact? Just as time travel allowed Marty McFly to experience different timelines in the Back to the Future series, multiverse tales allow characters to explore a multitude of worlds with varying degrees of similarity to our own, as well as altered versions of themselves. (Or, at least, in the current phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.) Its appeal as a storytelling device is obvious. The idea of the multiverse - the provocative notion that our universe is just one of many- has fully cemented itself in mainstream pop culture. Though they’re not particularly heavy on the physics, these films are definitely latching onto something. Films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Everything Everywhere All at Once entice the viewer with multiple versions of various characters and a dizzying array of alternate realities. Instead, it seems the entire multiverse is having its Hollywood moment. These days, one parallel universe is hardly enough for science fiction. ![]() Observing these small but significant differences, Kirk muses that the crew has materialized in “a parallel universe coexisting with ours on another dimensional plane.” They appear aboard the Enterprise, but things are askew: Crew members greet the captain with Nazi-style salutes, and First Officer Spock sports a goatee. The trouble starts when they attempt to beam up from a planet during an ion storm. If you live on this planet - and you’re of a certain age - there’s a decent chance you’ve seen the classic Star Trek episode “mirror, mirror,” in which Captain Kirk and several members of the enterprise find themselves in what appears to be a parallel universe. Click here to subscribe to read more stories like this one. This story was originally published in our Mar/Apr 2023 issue. ![]()
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