Parallel Universe
Tauhid Nur Azhar
This morning, after performing my Subuh prayer, I checked my WhatsApp messages. There was an interesting message in the Sinau Peradaban WhatsApp group, where our Dean, who has many talents and multiple intelligences, uploaded an old poster of the Star Trek movie from the 60s. On the poster, which featured my idol Mr. Spock, he simply commented, “In the 60s Star Trek, there was already a parallel universe.” His comment, as usual, sparked my curiosity and made me want to know more. What did he mean? Was it a Batman-style trap to make us curious about the parallel universe or multiverse? I had a hunch…
But seriously, the Hollywood film industry is also weird when it comes to the multiverse concept. They often feature it in their movies, not just as a part of science education or science fiction, but also to optimize the use of advanced CGI technology based on AI, which they have invested heavily in.
With the multiverse concept, their superheroes can meet in “other worlds,” allowing them to create box office hits that appeal to audiences who want to see “superhero combos.” In Hollywood movies, the multiverse concept is often used to create stories rich in alternative possibilities, inter-reality adventures, and characters that transcend the boundaries of a single universe.
One example of the use of the multiverse concept in the Hollywood industry is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In the MCU, the multiverse concept allows for the existence of parallel universes that are different from the main universe that audiences know. Events, characters, and timelines can be significantly different from the main universe.
Movies that use this concept include Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), which explores the multiverse explicitly and shows various alternative realities where the laws of physics and the fate of characters differ drastically. The character Doctor Strange moves across different universes to resolve conflicts that have far-reaching impacts.
Another example is Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), where the multiverse concept allows characters from previous Spider-Man movies (outside of the MCU) to enter the main MCU universe. This opens up opportunities for different versions of Spider-Man (Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield) to meet in one story.
Alternative realities are one of the concepts offered by the multiverse in the film industry. Every choice made by characters can create a different branch of time, which eventually forms a separate universe. This concept is related to the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.
Some universes in the MCU are accessed through “dimensions,” such as the Dark Dimension introduced in Doctor Strange (2016), which does not follow the physical laws we know.
Similarly, the DC Extended Universe also introduces the multiverse as a key element in its stories. Movies like The Flash (2023) delve deeper into this concept by using time travel and parallel realities as part of the plot.
The Flash (2023) explores the idea that Barry Allen (The Flash) can run fast enough to cross time and enter parallel realities. Here, alternative universes have different versions of iconic characters like Batman (played by Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck in different versions), highlighting how changes in certain events result in vastly different futures.
The multiverse concept in the DCEU introduces the idea of parallel universes. There are alternative universes that exist simultaneously but do not interact with each other, except in certain situations like when a hero can cross dimensional boundaries.
Every time travel or change in history can create a new timeline, as seen in the plot of The Flash.
The concept of the multiverse in science fiction can also be seen in the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), which uses the concept of the multiverse in a unique way, combining elements of science fiction, comedy, and drama. Everything Everywhere All at Once explores the idea that the main character, Evelyn, can traverse different universes to find versions of herself living in different realities.
Every decision made by Evelyn, no matter how small, creates a separate branch of reality. The movie uses the multiverse to depict the infinite possibilities of life and how every small decision can lead to a completely different fate.
In the movie, Evelyn uses the skills and knowledge of her versions in other universes to solve problems in her main reality, which is a creative approach to using the concept of the multiverse.
The movie Interstellar (2014) by Christopher Nolan depicts the concept of the multiverse in a more philosophical and scientific way. The movie presents the idea that time is a dimension that can be accessed and manipulated, and suggests the possibility that there are other realities that are not visible to humans within the limits of three dimensions of space and one dimension of time.
The movie Fifth Dimension (Dimensi Kelima) assumes the existence of a higher dimension beyond human understanding. The main character, Cooper, interacts with the “fifth dimension” inside a black hole, where he can see and interact with different moments in time simultaneously.
The movie The Matrix (1999) is an example of a cinematic work where a virtual world manifests as a parallel reality. Although not a multiverse in the pure sense of physics, The Matrix has explored the idea of parallel worlds in the form of computer simulations. The movie depicts a dual universe, where the real world and the simulated world created by machines coexist, and humans unknowingly live in a virtual reality.
The movie gives the impression that the reality we experience may not be more than a simulation, and provides an alternative approach to the concept of the multiverse, where alternative universes are created by humans or technology.
In the movie The One, starring Jet Li, the concept of the multiverse is used to create a story about a man who tries to kill all versions of himself in parallel universes to become the strongest version of himself.
Every time one of his versions is killed in another universe, his strength is transferred to the remaining versions, showing that each universe is connected, even if they exist in parallel.
Because I’ve watched many science fiction movies, I’ve started to think more about the concept of the multiverse, especially after our Dean teased us with his vintage Star Trek poster.
So, scientifically and physically, what is the multiverse and parallel universes?
The concept of parallel universes or the multiverse is one of the most interesting ideas in modern physics, as it combines elements of quantum mechanics, relativity, and cosmology.
In essence, the concept states that there may be more than one universe, where each universe may differ in terms of physical characteristics, space-time structure, or even the laws of physics. This idea has emerged in various scientific interpretations, with some being more speculative and others supported by strong theoretical frameworks in physics.
Let’s try to examine various theoretical approaches related to parallel universes and the challenges and opportunities in validating this idea scientifically.
The multiverse theory is one of the most common ideas related to parallel universes. One form of it emerges from the model of cosmic inflation. According to this theory, our universe underwent exponential expansion shortly after the Big Bang, and this process can occur repeatedly, creating a large number of universes that do not interact with each other, known as bubble universes.
Each of these universes may have different initial conditions, and their physical laws may also vary, resulting in a multiverse with diverse characteristics.
Inflationary Multiverse
Alan Guth, Andrei Linde, and other scientists who developed the theory of cosmic inflation showed that our universe is just one of many “bubbles” created through an eternal inflation process. In each “bubble,” the local physical laws may be different, which means that there are other universes where, for example, physical constants like the speed of light or the strength of gravity have different values than in our universe.
Many-Worlds Interpretation (MWI)
The many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, first proposed by Hugh Everett in 1957, is one of the most popular approaches to discussing parallel universes. In MWI, every time a measurement is made, the universe splits into multiple versions, each representing a possible outcome of the measurement.
Superposition and Quantum Decoherence
In quantum mechanics, particles can exist in superposition, meaning they can be in multiple states simultaneously until a measurement is made. When a measurement occurs, the superposition collapses, and we only observe one outcome. Everett argued that all outcomes occur, but in different branches of the universe. This phenomenon is often associated with quantum decoherence, where interactions with the environment cause the branches to become inaccessible to each other.
Implications of MWI
If MWI is correct, then every decision we make, every random outcome, triggers a new universe that branches out independently. This means that there are an infinite number of universes where every possible history occurs.
String Theory and Brane Multiverse
String theory, which attempts to unify general relativity and quantum mechanics, also supports the idea of the multiverse. In the M-theory version, our universe is one of many “branes” in a higher-dimensional space. Interactions between branes could create phenomena that we observe as the Big Bang.
Extra Dimensions
In this model, there are additional dimensions of space that we cannot directly observe. Our universe is located in a brane, while other branes may exist in higher dimensions. Collisions between branes could create new universes through a phenomenon similar to the Big Bang.
Observation and Experiment: Can We Prove Parallel Universes?
So far, the multiverse remains a theoretical hypothesis because there is no direct experiment that can confirm or deny its existence. However, some phenomena may provide clues, including:
- Observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which may show signs of influence from other universes.
- Black holes and quantum information theory, where some physicists have speculated that black holes may act as portals to other universes or contain information about the multiverse.
Parallel Universes in Indonesian Culture
The concept of parallel universes is not new in Indonesian culture, particularly in the study of traditional Javanese culture. The concept of Ngrogo Suksmo, or astral projection, is believed to allow individuals to project their souls out of their bodies without causing death.
In Javanese tradition, Ragasukma is a type of astral projection that allows individuals to meet their spiritual counterparts, known as Sedulur Papat and Lima Pancer. These entities are believed to exist in a parallel dimension and are born together with humans.
If we look at this concept from a scientific perspective, it may be related to interdimensional projection or projection in parallel universes.
References
- Guth, A. (1981). “Inflationary universe: A possible solution to the horizon and flatness problems.” Physical Review D, 23(2), 347–356.
- Tegmark, M. (2003). “Parallel Universes.” Scientific American, 288(5), 40–51.
- Everett, H. (1957). “Relative State Formulation of Quantum Mechanics.” Reviews of Modern Physics, 29, 454–462.
- Linde, A. (1990). “Particle Physics and Inflationary Cosmology.” Harwood Academic Publishers.
- Green, B., Schwarz, J. (1984). “Anomaly cancellations in supersymmetric D=10 gauge theory and superstring theory.” Physics Letters B, 149(1–3), 117–122.
