The Paradoxes And Effects Of Time Travel 4

Chapter 23

Hi friends! Welcome back to The Paradoxes and Effects of Time Travel. We have much to cover in this chapter, since we will be talking about the highly intriguing multiverse theory! Technically, it is not a paradox or effect of time travel, but it’s very fascinating to learn about and I found it to be well suited for this month! Anyway, there are so many aspects to cover when analysing this theory, so let’s not waste any more time.

Introduction to the Multiverse Theory:
Imagine a reality where every choice you make creates its own distinct universe. Congrats! You now know the fundamentals of the multiverse theory. This concept suggests that our universe is just one of an infinite amount of universes that are existing simultaneously. In other words, each universe (or reality) exists parallel to our own, sometimes with minor or major differences between them.

If you’re familiar with shifting, which I know many people on this site are, the multiverse theory supports that! Theoretically, shifting implies that the multiverse is real since it basically transports your awareness to a different universe. Personally, I have no idea what’s real and what’s not, but it’s interesting to think that there may be others out there beyond our galaxy. What do you think?

Scientific Basis:
The roots of the multiverse theory come from several branches of physics. One of the primary pillars of this theory comes from quantum mechanics, specifically the Many Worlds Interpretation proposed by physicist Hugh Everett in 1957. According to his interpretation, every quantum event branches out into a new universe, creating an endless amount of parallel worlds.

Another major contributor that comes into play is cosmology. Cosmology, if you aren’t aware, is the study of how the universe started and how it works. We can relate cosmology in this scenario particularly to the theory of inflation. This theory states that there was a period of rapid expansion right after the Big Bang. It suggests that different regions of space may have halted inflation at different times, creating “bubble universes” with distinct characteristics. One way to conceptualise bubble universes is as separate bubbles in space, each filled with its own rules. If we apply the theory of bubble universes to ourselves, our world and galaxy would be considered its own bubble. Similarly, string theory supports the same multiverse concept by suggesting that fundamental strings can vibrate in countless ways, each leading to a different universe.

Examples In Popular Culture:
Now we’re at the fun part! When I came to write this section of the chapter, there was one thing and one thing only that I could think about… Marvel! Essentially, the entirety of Marvel is built around the multiverse theory. How else would we have all of these different variations of heroes and villains?

One thing that came to mind specifically was Spiderman (and not just because I’m a huge Spiderman nerd). I’m nearly positive that all of the Spiderman movies have some mention of the multiverse in there, especially in No Way Home and Across The Spider-Verse. Those movies are also amazing by the way, do give them a watch! I also thought of the Flash, because duh! The guy runs so fast that he can create wormholes into other universes, so our theory is also demonstrated there.

However, Dr. Strange is probably the best example to utilise here. His whole thing revolves around time travel and universe business. I’m not particularly the biggest fan of Marvel, but I have watched Dr. Strange and he has a cool backstory! If you’re looking for multiverse content, I would highly recommend Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

Another Marvel project that is literally based on the multiverse is, What if…? The whole premise of the show is taking a scene or decision, made by a character or characters, in the main timeline of movies and changing it either slightly or drastically to make a new timeline with new events. The best example of this would be the episode “What if Ultron won?” In  the main timeline Ultron loses  and the normal events  of  that timeline play out.  However,  in the what if…?  show  they explore  what work would happen if he won  and the events of this timeline are completely different then the main one. It is a  very interesting show for any marvel fans out there.

Philosophical Implications:
Well, there are certainly some pretty big questions that arise when we think about this notion! For me, I think a lot about my sense of self. If there are an infinite amount of universes out there, which one is really me? Something interesting I thought was that if there are countless variations of myself, how do I know when I am being my “best self?” How CAN I possibly be my best self when there are so many incarnations of me?

Moving on from that, it also raises concerns about the importance of our decisions. To think that every choice I make affects the very universe I live in is absurd! If you recall from the first version of this chapter, this all can relate back to the Butterfly Effect as well.

Sadly, with that, we’ve reached the end of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed exploring the multiverse theory with me! Next time, we will be talking about the Predestination Paradox. It’s certainly a challenging thing to encounter when discussing time travel, so it will be lots of fun to research! If you’d like to read about it, I’ll see you back here next month. Goodbye!

Written by Daphne Clarke. 
Edited by Marlee Potter.
Proofread by Ross Geary.