Quantum mechanics is so different from our linear thinking and the Newtonian model of “if-then” that it’s often beyond comprehension for most people. This difference also applies to parallel worlds. They could exist, but most people would rather see something tangible because it gives them something to hold on to.
Quantum Mechanics and Parallel Worlds
Quantum mechanics is a lot different from most branches of science. It tries to explain some of the bizarre consequences of quantum theory. It has led to some mind-blowing ideas, such as Copenhagen’s interpretation and the many worlds’ interpretation.
Now there is a “new” interpretation called the “multiple interacting worlds” hypothesis. This theory suggests the existence of parallel worlds and that they are in constant interaction with our world and are thus detectable. While still speculative, the approach may provide explanations for a lot of questions about quantum mechanics.
The Many Worlds Interpretation
In the Many-worlds interpretation, the timeline is not one fixed given in which all events occur in only one way. Still, with each event, the line splits into several alternative timelines, each containing a possible event outcome.
The key idea of the many-worlds interpretation is that unitary quantum mechanics describes the whole universe. It represents a measurement as a unitary transformation without using a collapse postulate and describes observers as ordinary quantum-mechanical systems.
The Multiple Interacting Worlds Theory
The Multiple Interacting Worlds theory is a spin-off of the Many Worlds theory and states that all possible alternate histories and futures are real, and each represents a real, although parallel, world.
There may be several worlds in which you have made different decisions. It’s just a matter of the laws of nature. It’s unclear whether there is a finite or infinite number of parallel worlds. Man is able to make many choices, and the outcome depends on an infinite number of variables. This makes it likely that the number of parallel worlds is also infinite.
One problem with the many-worlds interpretation is that it’s fundamentally untested because we can only observe our world scenarios. This means that events in a parallel world can only be imagined and are also based on assumptions.
The multiple interacting worlds theory suggests that parallel worlds interact with each other at the quantum level. Because we cannot test this theory, the question remains to what extent this theory is based on truth.
