Multiple Universes

[FreakBoy]

I've been rereading some of my books on cosmology and physics and keep stumbling over a conceptual barrier of mine.

The concept of multiple "adjacent" universes, or a multiverse, or bubbleverse seems to appear in contemporary writings and treated with a sense of, "Sure why not?"

If my understanding is correct, then any universe other than the one we inhabit would be completely out of reach of any communication, causality, observation, etc. What is the purpose of the concept if by definition it can't make any impact on anything we can observe? Isn't it just as valid to say that there are bazillions of other universes all populated with purple elephants which worship Sylvia Browne as the deity from their home plant, plant X?

 

[TobiasTheViking]

Depends on the theori.. if M Theory turns out to be correct one might be able to communicate with other universes through gravity(as gravity isn't confined to just one brane in M Theory)

 

[FreakBoy]

So then the word "universe" becomes a etymological anachronism, if M-Theory is correct (i.e. atom).

I need to brush up on my branes.

 

[Wolfman]

So then the word "universe" becomes a etymological anachronism, if M-Theory is correct (i.e. atom).

I need to brush up on my branes.

Not at all...it would simply be a term to designate a subset within the multiverse. The multiverse is composed of numerous (or infinite) universes. You can't really talk about the multiverse without discussing universes...ours, and others.

 

[TobiasTheViking]

Sorry, no, a universe in a multiverse doesn't really work, since the universe is a subset of a multiverse it can't be... well... a universe...

 

[shemp]

I used to read a lot of cosmology books, but it made my brane hurt.