Can There Be More Than One Universe?

[buxgoddess 1]

I do not believe that this question is answerable at this moment due to the fact that we have not even explored 0.0000000000000000125% of the universe that we reside in. If I were to make a logical guess to whether there are more than one universe, I would say that it would be impossible. I cannot see how there can be two universes. How would it be possible to get across from one to the other. Unless there is a way for the universes to connect to each other, I doubt that there could be such thing as another universe. Even if the two universes can be connected to each other, wouldn't that just mean that they would be considered one universe? I mean, it is hard to imagine another universe when we cannot even imagine the size of our universe.

As you said, we explored only 0.0...0125% of the universe, its more the reason to believe that there may be more life out there.

It was not Augustine's God, who transcended both space and time, nor is it the God favoured by many contemporary theologians. In fact, they long ago coined a term for it "god of the gaps" to deride the idea that when science leaves something out of account, then God should be invoked to plug the gap. The origin of life and the origin of consciousness are favourite loci for a god-of-the-gaps, but the origin of the universe is the perennial big gap.

Notice from rvalkass:

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Edited April 11, 2011 by rvalkass (see edit history)

[Baniboy 3]

I think there is a semantics problem here. When you say "universe", it automatically contains everything (I think). So there can't be multiple everythings... Just correcting the words here. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Anyway, just to add my two cents, I think this kind of discussion is pretty useless. More emphasis should be put on how to prove or disprove the existence of other *whatever*-verses. Moving on...

 

there could be other universe which could be made of anti-matter. If our universe is expanding and meet a universe made of anti- matter, it would be the end of both universe.

I could perhaps consider the possibility of universe and anti-universe but this reasoning for its possibility is flawed. Antimatter exist in this 'universe' too and is detectable.

 

What I do find interest to discuss about however is other dimensions, which is kind of close to this topic. The current standard model (regarding particle physics) that contains the four (three) interactions (electroweak, nuclear and gravity) isn't very handy. That's why the hunt is on for a grand unified theory (GUT), which would explain all interactions and unite the ones that we have now. Many of the GUT hypothesis' require extra dimensions. At least one required a "shadow-like" dimension or something, it's hard to explain because the terms were in Finnish and I can't translate them to English that well. Perhaps Rvalkass should come here and correct my mistakes lol, he would be better at explaining this.

[mrdee 1]

I think there is a semantics problem here. When you say "universe", it automatically contains everything (I think). So there can't be multiple everythings... Just correcting the words here. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

No need to correct you, because you are not wrong.

 

The broad definition of Universe is: "All matter and energy, including the earth, the galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole".

 

However, talking about semantics, if the starter of this topic had said "Can there be more than one galaxyor more than one solar system?" (which I assume is what he really meant to start a discussion about, especially when I see his words):

We have not gone anywhere outside our own solar system.

Yet some scientists, in which there is greatest among the greats Sir Einstien also, believe that there is more than one universe in which we can go by passing through a worm hole.

I think he would have left much more room for discussion.

Since galaxy and solar system are part of the universe, but by no means make up the universe itself as a whole, I think the scientists might have had a point for their hypotheses.

 

After all, we might have achieved a lot in exploring more and more of our own galaxy/solar system due to improved technology and knowledge, we are still only scratching the surface (and scratching it very lightly, I would even say).

So far, we have always learned there are 9 planets.

From Earth, five of those can be seen with the naked eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

The other three (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) become visible when we use a telescope.

 

This is, of course, only with the help of our (may I say) limited senses, and by means of (forgive me if this sounds a bit derogatory) low-tech equipment.

Attempts have been made to discover more detail regarding all this by means of rigorous research and the investment of billions of whatever currency in hi-tech equipment and the improvements thereof, and the training of human investigators.

 

Although considerable progress has been made in this field, it has never been proven that astronauts have reached any limit/boundary of our galaxy or solar system, nor has it been proven or disproven that such limits/boundaries exist.

 

Also, the most sophisticated machinery has thus far not reported any sort of border to a galaxy, or evidence that it has spotted any other occurences of things such as planets, stars, suns or even life outside our solar system (once again, due to that same reason it has not disproven there is nothing more out there).

 

Let us not forget, something that can't be seen or heard or felt does not automatically mean that something is not there/does not exist.

 

Scientists are well aware of the fact that, due to our limited knowledge, and the limited possibilities of our equipment (no matter how sophisticated) that they cannot be conclusive about the existence of other solar systems, planets (other than our 9 known ones) or life forms elsewhere in the universe. (This time I am using the word, because of the holistic approach).

 

However, I would like the answer to the question to the people who are much morespecialised than myself, and who are constantly being trained and train others themselves to find out things like those.

 

I just thought it might be interesting to add a few thoughts, and to point out that there might indeed be a semantic issue here, rather than a scientific one.

[REJUVINATOR 0]

I agree with every statement spoken in some way. of course Uni = one . But, like some said , this is the only universe we know of (And, we have not began to experience the outside of our solar system). this universe was created by our creator . Now we most put our heads together to travel through it . mother nature will always be here but you have to evolve with time. but, the place we call earth may not always be here. (to create man . and to watch he/she work together and use the resources to the best of their ability as we keep making history. all of the knowledge comes with a price.) I don't just picture saucers. and war. But we will meet people of mutual intelligence if not greater. (imagine. the "rich and smart" people leave earth . leave us here. go to a new world. take all the extras they want . start a new life, leave us here to die. but wait . we survive. start over and start building technology all over again.) when its time for an invasion as life moves forward . our own people will be our aliens the same as they are now. machines technology and aliens. programmed by humans. this may take 1000's of years. but it's all possible.I've always "assumed" (yeah i said it) that there were more than one universe. I'm not talking galaxy or planet, but actual universe. like a crystal ball. And if this universe never ends and never will. Hopefully we will be able to have more than one sun earth and moon similarity. that makes Mother earth as beautiful as it is today. It's like living out in space. and paying to visit mother earth. Wicked eh? Exotic Vacation Eh? How can we make mother earth better if we don't leave it ? ROFLbetter yet, truth no one is worried about the universe or any other universe. when they speak universe . its in terms of . is there anyone out there with intelligence mutual to us or greater (as of 2011). is there any place out there just like earth. are there anymore living other than earth. Humans want to know . But, are you ready to know the truth? I'd rather not know. for now. because we are not equipped for it. we'd have to quarantine them . and study them as they would do us. because what they are immune to we will not be. what we are immune to they will be not. Its actually a big hot mess. (More like Black people willing to slave another breathing soul) we were never meant to be perfect. but everything has a sacrifice. and to meet new intelligence would be WICKED!.... MORE TRIAL AND ERROR AND TURF WAR. AGENDAS AGENDAS AGENDAS. nothing new. just the cliche of life and turf with us animals. peace faith and happiness with a lil dirt makes mad progress .

[Darkyo13 0]

REJUVINATOR
I somehow agree with almost everything you said of course Uni = one . But like you said , we have not began to experience the outside of our solar system.

this universe was created by our creator

Yeah its true but if you say it like this then if there are more universes then that means thare is more then one god . I also imagined what will happen if the "rich and smart" people leave this earth leaving us here and going to a new world. Then we wont be able to survive, start over and start building technology all over again it would be to hard for the dumb people that were left behind only if from the newborns at least 2% will be genius and when they will be grownups they will be followed by the dumb ones then that will be the only chance to survive if not they are doomed.
I also think that there is more than one universe and you are right Mother earth it really is beautiful but is full of dumb people that dont care and they are destroying it (examples polluting the atmosphere, spilling chemicals into the water , etc )

How can we make mother earth better if we don't leave it ?

Funny =)) but unfortunately true :(I think that us humans are not prepared yet to discover another intelligent creatures also i think that some of us already discovered other inteligent creatures but they hide it from the rest of the world and its better this way beacause i think it would be a total panic (im talking about NASA)

[missy2205 0]

I have toyed around for many years with this concept wondering if there is indeed another universe or a parrallel one as hinted by quantum physics. it really hard to say because while theres no proof of a parellel universe in existence, there is no proof that one doesnt exist either all we can do is speculate and the longer we survive and realise theres a possibility that science is unearthing more and more things relating to our history it actually creates more and more doubt that we are the only ones that exists. Maybe we are the only ones that exist in our form but then maybe even mars has life but a totally different make up of life eg the rocks are alive and have a conscience yet when we think of life as in fishes and birds and humans. Yet life even on earth doesnt depend on oxgen as previously thot before well not all life. theres some plants that actually live in some form of deadly acid that were int he papers last year. they adapted because they were in acidic conditions for years and years and over time they mutated to survive in their conditions obviously some plants died in the process baecause they couldnt cope that well.

[iGuest 3]

Humans named it the "Universe."Yes, Uni means one, but Humans created that name. It doesn't mean there is a limit to how many Universes there are.Humans cannot simply put everything that we know to exsist, into a shell and name it, as we have with the word Universe.I personally believe that there is more than one Universe. And I do not see why Human words should change that.

[eInfiniti 0]

No. There is only one universe by definition. Universe is all matter and space as a whole - if you search the internet for a definition. The question appears to really mean whether there are multiple (more than one) parts of the universe, one being the one earth is in or the one known to everyone today and any additional parts being those that are not yet known.

[k_nitin_r 8]

As others on the forum have pointed out, a university is a single entity that encompasses everything that we know. Some people may use the term to describe all of the solar systems and asteroids and other galactic masses so if there were something else to exist, which is perhaps even beyond our imagination right now, it would be called something else, so going by that definitions, there is a possibility that we could have something other than the university but that possibility is very very small. Imagine being able to see something in an aquarium other than fish, aquatic plants, and rocks. If you did find something that happened to land there, such as a hydra, then that would be a rare but still expected occurrence. However, you would not expect to see a bubble of helium in there and if you did, you would say that isn't a part of the aquarium just as something unexpected would not be a part of our universe therefore a new term would have to be created to refer collectively to the universe and the newly discovered entity but again, I reiterate that it is very very unlikely for such a thing to happen because although we do have unnatural occurrences, the possibility of something other than planets, stars, blackholes, asteroids, and stuff that humans have put or left out there, and even if there was, it is not something that we have been able to find so far.

[vivek2012 0]

The concept of the existence of more than one universe (Multiverse as it is knows as) is not new. In the Vedas and Puranas (Holy Scriptures of Hindus) the concept would be found mentioned many a times.

“Every universe is covered by seven layers — earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego — each ten times greater than the previous one. There are innumerable universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called unlimited (Bhagavata Purana 6.16.37)”

“

Lord Śiva said: "My dear son, I, Lord Brahmā and the other devas, who move within this universe under the misconception of our greatness, cannot exhibit any power to compete with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for innumerable universes and their inhabitants come into existence and are annihilated by the simple direction of the Lord" (Bhagavata Purana 9.4.56)”

“Even though over a period of time I might count all the atoms of the universe, I could not count all of My opulences which I manifest within innumerable universes (Bhagavata Purana 11.16.39)”

And who will search through the wide infinities of science to count the universes side by side, each containing its Brahma, its Vishnu, its Shiva? Who can count the Indras in them all--those Indras side by side, who reign at once in all the innumerable worlds; those others who passed away before them; or even the Indras who succeed each other in any given line, ascending to godly kingship, one by one, and, one by one, passing away? (Brahma Vaivarta Purana)

Therefore, even though it may be new found subject for the modern age scientists to wonder and study about this phenomenon called “Multiverse”, it is an astonishing fact that it, indeed, was a subject for the ancient Hindus and they have arguably commented ‘authentically’ about it. It may be argued that there is no ‘scientific’ proof to support the revelations contained in Hindu Scriptures about the ‘Multiverse”. However, it is an amazing fact many of the findings of the modern science, arrived at with the help of its multifarious accessories and equipments, have only confirmed the ‘revelations’ in the Hindu scriptures, which was earlier rejected for want of ‘scientific proof’, as authentic and scientifically valid. And, you will be astonished to know that these “revelations” were not the outcome of any external equipment or accessories based ‘experiments’, but the outcome of some inborn supernatural powers that these Hindu Rishis (Sages) were possessing! It still remains a mystery.

 

I would not like to go too much deep on the subject since it is too large for me to do so. Those who are interested in a deep study may access such information through sources available on Internet or read books on the subject. However, I would like to end this post with the opinion of what the Famous Astrophysicist Carl Sagan had to say on the Hindu scriptures

“The Hindu religion is the only one of the world’s great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long. Longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang. And there are much longer time scales still”.

[iGuest 3]

I Don't know if anybody has said this, Because I didn't really look through all the Comments but This is what I have to say about more then one Universe:I think there are more then one, I mean I watched a video and it said that our Universe is dieing, it's going cold and Barren and soon enough it will die. Im not for sure if that is true or not but also like the Warm Holes it's like a High way Intersection to another city so think of Warm Holes Like this. Pretend New york is our Universe and it starts to Get really cold and Everything in it Is Dieing so you leave New york which is our Universe and you go to Calfonia. But it's too far away so What do you do? You take a Plane that Shoot's (Fly's you there) Pretty fast okay. So New york is Our Universe, California is The Connected Universe, and The Planes are the Black holes. So Practically all the States are Universes. So there all connected. And the United States is the Main Universe. So if Califoria Dies we got 49 otehr ones. But if United States Dies....Were do we go? Well think of it like this...There are Alot of Other country's and those are like Main Universes Conecting Alot of Mini-Versus. So we go there. But Our Main Univese is so Big it would take Trillion's of Years for it too Die. And Earth won't even be around for us To Expeirence that. I know this made no sense but I had to Comment this. (: So think about it. Everything is Inffinite and If our Universe is, there has to be more! If it's Inffite...But everything Is Connceted somehow like the Country's are conected to Earth and Earth is Conected to the MIlkyway and the Milkyway is Conected to the Real Universe so yeah! Lol

[Bikerman 2]

lol. i'm guessing you're talking about parallel universes. The idea of multiple universes is not even a theory, it's just a myth. Only ideas that can be proven with evidence or to have a way to test it can be called a theory. Ideas that cannot be proven is not consisted as theory. Since you are talking about multiple universes, then i'm pretty sure you have at leasted heard of the string theory. The string theory isn't really a theory, since there are no way to prove it.

Myth is too strong. There are several hypotheses (better word) which involve multiverses of one sort or another. It is true that, as yet, there are no tests available for these hypotheses so they remain hypotheses and are not 'theory'.One, however, is pretty widely accepted amongst physicists - the Everett Many World interpretation of quantum mechanics. This basically 'solves' the 'collapse of the wavefunction' from probabilistic to deterministic by positing that each possible quantum event is not probabilistic but is instead certin. The upshot and noddy-version would be :- everything that CAN happen DOES happen, but each possibility spawns an entirely new universe.
Although it might sound mad, it is probably the most widely accepted interpretation of the results we get from quantum mechanics and it is supported by such scientists as Tegmark, Hawking, Penrose, DeWitt,Deutsch and many more.