Have you ever considered what your life might have looked like if you made other decisions or taken a different path?
There is a possibility we could find out, according to physicist Howard Wiseman, a supporter of the “Many Interacting Worlds” (MIW) theory, that forward the idea that, not only do parallel worlds exist, they interact with one another and there is potential for contact between the worlds.
Theories or parallel universes’ such as the “Copenhagen” and “many worlds” interpretations of quantum mechanics have been around since the 1950s and have been used to explain away abnormalities and strange consequences in quantum theory.
The “MIW” theory grew out of the “many worlds” theory, which proposes that all different histories and futures are real and each represent a real “World” or “Universe”.
This leads to the possibility of infinite worlds existing alongside each other.
The idea of alternative worlds has fed imaginations for decades, sparking interest even outside of the world of quantum physics with TV shows, movies and books exploring the ideas.
But, at the moment, proving alternative realities do exist remains a work of fiction.
It’s impossible to test the validity of the “many worlds” interpretation because observations can only be made in our world and so what goes on in these alternative realities can only be speculated about.
That’s where the “MIW” theory is different, as physicists believe these worlds can interact on the quantum level and have forwarded evidence that proves it.
Wiseman, a physicist at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia was one of the first to forward this alternative to the traditional theory.
Explaining why, he said: “In the well-known ‘Many-Worlds Interpretation’, each universe branches into a bunch of new universes every time a quantum measurement is made. All possibilities are therefore realized – in some universes the dinosaur-killing asteroid missed Earth.
In others, Australia was colonized by the Portuguese.
“But critics question the reality of these other universes, since they do not influence our universe at all,” he continued.
“On this score, our ‘Many Interacting Worlds’ approach is completely different, as its name implies.”
The MIW theory states there is “a universal force of repulsion between ‘nearby’ worlds, which tends to make them more dissimilar.”
By factoring in this force, Wiseman claims, quantum effects can be explained.
While it’s not yet been established whether it predicts quantum effects mathematically, the new theory does open a whole new branch of possibility when it comes to alternative realities.
Wiseman believes that, while it’s not part of the MIW theory, “the idea of [human] interactions with other universes is no longer pure fantasy”.
Meaning in the future, there could be the chance that we can not only prove that alternative universes exist, but also make contact with them.
