Multiverse facts for kids

Physical cosmology

Universe · Big Bang Age of the universe Timeline of the Big Bang Ultimate fate of the universe Early universe Inflation · Nucleosynthesis GWB · Neutrino background Cosmic microwave background Expanding universe Redshift · Hubble's law Metric expansion of space Friedmann equations FLRW metric Structure Formation Shape of the universe Structure formation Reionization Galaxy formation Large-scale structure Galaxy filaments Components Lambda-CDM model Dark energy · Dark matter Timeline Timeline of cosmological theories Timeline of the Big Bang Future of an expanding universe Experiments Observational cosmology 2dF · SDSS COBE · BOOMERanG · WMAP · Planck Scientists Isaac Newton · Einstein · Hawking · Friedman · Lemaître · Hubble · Penzias · Wilson · Gamow · Dicke · Zel'dovich · Mather · Rubin · Smoot

A multiverse is the theory of a conjectured set of multiple possible universes, including ours, which make up reality. These universes are sometimes called parallel universes. A number of different versions have been considered.

The term "multiverse" was coined in 1895 by psychologist William James as a philosophical concept.

The cosmological multiverse

The cosmological multiverse tries to explain why the universe we observe i.e. ''our universe'' seems so welcoming to the emergence of life. Even small changes to the way physics works would make life impossible. In a multiverse a vast number of universes are randomly created and some happen to favour life emerging there. Many inhospitable universes would also have been created, but there would be no life there to observe their existence.

The quantum multiverse

The quantum multiverse is another version in which our universe splits into alternative futures with every quantum event. This is called many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Images for kids

• 

  Concept of a twin universe, with the beginning (of time) in the middle.

See also

In Spanish: Multiverso para niños