Astronomers Find First Evidence Of Other Universes


Recommended Posts

Today, another group says they've found something else in the echo of the Big Bang. These guys start with a different model of the universe called eternal inflation. In this way of thinking, the universe we see is merely a bubble in a much larger cosmos. This cosmos is filled with other bubbles, all of which are other universes where the laws of physics may be dramatically different to ours.

These bubbles probably had a violent past, jostling together and leaving "cosmic bruises" where they touched. If so, these bruises ought to be visible today in the cosmic microwave background.

Now Stephen Feeney at University College London and a few pals say they've found tentative evidence of this bruising in the form of circular patterns in cosmic microwave background. In fact, they've found four bruises, implying that our universe must have smashed into other bubbles at least four times in the past.

Again, this is an extraordinary result: the first evidence of universes beyond our own.

So, what to make of these discoveries. First, these effects could easily be a trick of the eye. As Feeney and co acknowledge: "it is rather easy to fifind all sorts of statistically unlikely properties in a large dataset like the CMB." That's for sure!

There are precautions statisticians can take to guard against this, which both Feeney and Penrose bring to bear in various ways.

But these are unlikely to settle the argument. In the last few weeks, several groups have confirmed Pernose's finding while others have found no evidence for it. Expect a similar pattern for Feeney's result.

The only way to settle this will be to confirm or refute the findings with better data. As luck would have it, new data is forthcoming thanks to the Planck spacecraft that is currently peering into the cosmic microwave background with more resolution and greater sensitivity than ever.

Cosmologists should have a decent data set to play with in a couple of years or so. When they get it, these circles should either spring into clear view or disappear into noise (rather like the mysterious Mars face that appeared in pictures of the red planet taken by Viking 1 and then disappeared in the higher resolution shots from the Mars Global Surveyor).

Planck should settle the matter; or, with any luck, introduce an even better mystery. In the meantime, there's going to be some fascinating discussion about this data and what it implies about the nature of the Universe.

more

Link to comment
Share on other sites

not really a universe then is it? :laugh: anyways, a long time ago the theory was that each bubble was a parallel universe running a slightly different path from our own...

I believe you are referring to M-Theory. M-Theory states that our universe is just one in a colossal multiverse. Membranes inhabit the multiverse as different dimensions. These membranes are positioned parallel to each other. These membranes are no static as they have waves that causes the membranes to comes closer to each other via the waves' crests. Every once in a while, these membranes comes in contact with one another and end up "slapping" each other. The contract exerts an exubberant amount of energy and that energy is released in the form of a "big bang". The consequence of this realization is that "big bangs" probably happen often ("often" in context to time relative to the multiverse) and thus making our "big bang" and the subsequent created universe (our universe) not in the least bit unique.

An interesting theory but that's all it is.

Technically it's more of a hypothesis. And while theoretical physics is a branch of science that is dominated by hypotheses that cannot currently be tested, mathematical models are used to give merit to these conjectures. Unlikely hypothesis are weeded out through mathematic models and hypotheses that are more plausible end up being verified by mathematical models and extensive data research. Furthermore, if you read the article, they explain that they have other observable data that has backed up their hypothesis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

An interesting theory but that's all it is.

right, i take nothing from this article. sounds like trying to prove jesus exists by finding him in my toast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.