A Level II multiverse is much the same except that each pocket universe has different versions of the fundamental forces, different elementary particles, etc. For example, the force of gravity might be stronger in one pocket universe than another.
A Level III multiverse is derived from quantum superposition, and I’ll talk about that in the next section. A Level IV multiverse is purely mathematical, and I’ll leave that one to the deep-thinking mathematicians like Tegmark.
Each multiverse concept has one thing in common: every universe was created from nothing, springing from a fluctuation in a quantum field that caused a single point of nothingness to blossom.
Something from nothing, many times over. That’s the gist of the multiverse concept. It represents a chain of events that may have been going on forever and will continue forever more. No beginning and no end. Infinite in both space and time with every instance derived from exactly nothing.
Are these multiverse ideas testable? Or is it all just metaphysical nonsense?
First, inflation is testable. The cosmic microwave background measured by the WMAP and Planck missions confirmed that the inflation theory is accurate and the best explanation anyone has given for the parameters of the universe we measure today. Every multiverse theory is based on inflation. Check.
The shape of the universe is also testable. As I described above, these same space missions confirmed that the universe is flat, not spherical or open in shape. Mathematically, a flat plane has no end; it goes on forever. Infinite space certainly supports the Level I or II multiverse idea. Check.
It’s a start, and I think there is more evidence too. To find it, let’s dive into the insanity of superposition.
Quantum Superposition
Starting in Chapter 30, the story moves into the very real but very weird quantum world of superposition. Nala and Thomas (and later Marie) become probabilities with outcomes that are not determined until there is an outside observer.
Can this really happen? To people, who knows? But it happens all the time to quantum particles. The mental gymnastics are easier if you stop thinking of them as particles. Call them a quantum probability wavefunction instead.
The conundrum is best represented by the famous double-slit experiment, the scenario in which a gun shoots a stream of particles toward a barrier containing two slits. (If you’re not familiar, this is a good video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4_0obIwQ_U or read my blog post here: http://douglasphillipsbooks.com/blog/the-double-slit-experiment).
Blast a stream of particles through two slits, and two bands of particles will come out the other side, right? Wrong. Quantum-sized particles like electrons produce a very different result. Instead of two bands, we see multiple bands just like the interference pattern that waves of water produce. Does that mean quantum particles are really waves?
Modern thinking is that quantum particles are a mathematical probability that is wavelike. The particle isn’t really smeared across space, but its true location might be at point A or it might be at point B. That’s superposition in a nutshell. It’s a roll of the dice. The chance you’ll find the particle at A or B is determined by a mathematical probability called the wavefunction. As Core said in Chapter 22, outcomes follow probabilities.
Superposition ties very well with the idea of a multiverse driven by events, which Max Tegmark identifies as Level III. In this kind of multiverse, events that we perceive to be random such as whether a leaf falling from a tree lands in my yard or my neighbor’s are comparable to the choices we each make every day, such as whether to stop the car when a traffic signal turns yellow. Every random event and every choice we make results in a separate branch—a new path to follow in a never-ending complexity of differing outcomes. (Side note: check out Season 3 Episode 4, Remedial Chaos Theory of the television show, Community, if you want to experience the full comedic impact of a Level III multiverse. It’s a classic.)
In a universe like this, the sheer number of random branches is staggering with downstream effects that go on forever. A woman barely catches a train home and finds her boyfriend in bed with another woman or she misses the train and never learns of the affair (Sliding Doors, 1998). You recognize the idea; it’s been in sci-fi for a long while.
We perceive our universe as the chosen path with randomness that has settled on a specific outcome. But in the multiverse explanation, every outcome has occurred, each equally valid and equally real. The other versions of ourselves that follow those other paths are just as sure their outcome was the real one, with no opportunity for us to compare notes.
Is this possible? Does it make any sense? A significant number of physicists and cosmologists not only believe it’s possible, they say it’s a rigorous mathematical explanation for the superposition of quantum particles and thus a reasonable explanation for our reality.
But science doesn’t establish reality by taking a poll. Science requires evidence. Is there any?
Maybe. I’ll throw out two more bits of multiverse evidence for your perusal. First is the CMB radiation, measured by WMAP and in greater detail by Planck. Colors in the CMB image above show slight temperature variations away from the average of 2.7 K. The deviations are tiny, only 0.000018 K (or 18 μK), telling us that the CMB is exceedingly smooth. But one spot near the lower right stands out:
It’s called the cold spot, because the temperature there is 70 μK below the rest of the map—significant enough that scientists have ruled out random variation. Both WMAP and Planck independently confirmed this cold spot, so it’s not a measurement error either. Something about our universe is different in this direction.
At first, astronomers thought it was a relatively empty area containing fewer galaxies than normal but a study in 2017 demonstrated that this interpretation was false. The mysterious spot is still being studied, but one explanation is remarkable: the cold spot may be a cosmic bruise, a place where our bubble universe collided with another bubble during cosmic inflation. It’s potential evidence that our universe is not the only one.
Cosmic bruises aside, perhaps the most compelling evidence is all around us. The parameters of our universe appear to be fine-tuned to produce stars, galaxies and especially life. For example, if the down quark were just a little bit heavier, hydrogen wouldn’t be the most common element. Helium—an inert gas—would take its place, making the formation of complex molecules far more difficult and making good old H2O very rare. Likewise, if gravity were a little stronger, stars would exhaust their fuel more rapidly and planets like Earth wouldn’t have billions of years to evolve life.
There are dozens more parameters that if adjusted just a little result in a radically different universe, most variations far more hostile to life than our own. We haven’t done enough exploring to know whether our universe is teeming with life, but with so many deadly permutations, isn’t it odd that we’re here at all?
Some people see divine intent in a universe that is exquisitely fine-tuned for life but there is another explanation that doesn’t require invoking the supernatural. Our universe is one of many universes, each with different parameters.
Our universe happens to have the right mix of matter and forces to be transparent yet organized, to allow stars to burn steadily for ten billion years and to make it easy for hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus to form self-replicating molecules and evolve into higher life forms. We were lucky. Perhaps a thousand other universes weren’t so lucky.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, science fiction writers imagined the moon, Mars and Venus to be populated with creatures much like us—a humorous idea today. We’ve learned in the past twenty years of examining exoplanets that most are inhospitable, and that Earth is one gem among a thousand duds. As we search the cosmos, I think we’ll discover life here and there, but we may eventually learn that intelligent life is exceedingly rare, perhaps only a few civilizations per galaxy.
It’s not a stretch to imagine the same scenario played out across many universe
s. Some have life, many don’t. If true, it would explain the fine-tuning of the parameters in our universe. We really are just lucky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you’d like more details plus a lot of pictures and diagrams related to the story, please go to my web page: http://douglasphillipsbooks.com. While you’re there, add your name to my email list and I’ll keep you informed about additional books in the series and other events.
I hoped you enjoyed this second book in the series. But wait… there’s more! Quantum Time is the next book and the final story in the Quantum series. We’ve had our fun with space; let’s switch to the very rich and fascinating topic of time. Details below.
And finally, books live or die on reviews. If you enjoyed this story, please consider writing a short review. It takes only a minute, and your review helps future readers as well as the author. For more information on how to leave a review, go to http://douglasphillipsbooks.com/contact.
Thanks for reading!
Douglas Phillips
Acknowledgments
Thanks to all the authors at Critique Circle, but especially Kathryn Hoff, Travis Leavitt and Zoe Carmina. Once again, you’ve shown me that a critique from someone who’s down in the trenches writing their own book is more valuable than a pot of gold. You helped me shape the plot and characters and warned me when I strayed too far from realism or wandered into a long soliloquy of dense physics.
Thanks to my editor, Eliza Dee, who can see a plot hole a mile away and always has good advice for written words that are tight and clean. Much appreciation also to Gabe Waggoner and Christine Lane, who provided significant corrections and helped me across the finish line.
Thanks also to Rena Hoberman for the fantastic cover. We tried a few options this time, and I love the simplicity of the final result. Your covers will also appear on the audiobook productions of the Quantum Series, a testament to their design.
I tried something new with this book: an army of beta readers—seventy-six to be exact! I was initially worried I had gone too far, but happily surprised at the feedback that I received from so many people. A special thanks to Attila, Bill, Brad, Chandler, Gary, Gert-Jan, Guy, James, Jeff B, Jeff C, Kim, Lili, Michael, Nancy, Paul, Rob, Bob, Steve H, and Steve R. I studied every comment and found your feedback incredibly helpful in shaping the final version. Thank you!
Many thanks to my friends and family for your time and your advice, not only on this book but also in your enthusiastic support of my writing in general. Phil, you know you’re my best cheerleader.
And to my wife, Marlene, thank you for your love, your support and your patience as I spend countless hours in front of the computer. Hopefully, our on-site reconnaissance trips will expand beyond Fermilab for future books. Haiti, perhaps?
Box Set Table of Contents
Quantum Space
Quantum Void
Quantum Time
Quantum Time
Book Three in the Quantum Series
By Douglas Phillips
Text and images copyright © 2019 Douglas Phillips
All Rights Reserved.
This is a work of fiction. References to actual places and government facilities assist in setting a level of realism. However, all characters, businesses and events portrayed in the book are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses or actual events is purely coincidental.
For my dear friend Phil.
This is the story you were waiting to read.
Quantum Time Table of Contents
1Traveler
2OSTP
3Coin
4Isotope
5Vision
6Deliberations
7Florida
8Switzerland
9Alpha Prime
10Empros
11Forward
12Italy
13Confirmation
14Commandment
15London
16Sagittarius Novus
17Ebenezer
18Jump
19Spire
20Reception
21Security
22Secrets
23Sanctum
24Readiness
25Celebration
26Unveiled
27Stealth
28Refuge
29Convolutions
30Instances
31Infinite Regression
32Fugitives
33Captives
34Loops
35Loopholes
36Future
37Ring
38Fate
39Inflection Point
40Home
41Bora Bora
Afterword
Acknowledgments
About the Author
1 Traveler
A yell shattered the quiet lobby. Almost a scream, though when men scream it comes out kind of wonky.
Sergeant Jamie Copley glanced up from her work, scowling. The double-pane door at the police station’s entrance was slightly ajar, allowing the heat and humidity of central Florida to seep in, along with whatever commotion was going on in the parking lot.
Another scream, almost animal-like.
“Not again,” she griped. The station had been calm for a Tuesday morning, and Jamie liked it that way. One drug dealer booked—that was it. Officer Doherty had already taken the scumbag to a cell down the hall, along with the guy’s street stink, leaving the lobby tranquil once more. A young couple sat in one corner, waiting to provide a statement on a stolen car case. Another guy, who said he needed to speak with Chief Jones about something or other, paced.
Doherty leaned against the counter of the reception desk, entering an arrest record on his tablet. He seemed unconcerned about the yelling.
“Can you get that?” Jamie asked him. The door sometimes didn’t shut properly, and arguments seemed to break out at least once a week between lowlifes in the parking lot. Just the sight of Doherty in uniform would shut them up fast.
“Yeah, no problem.” Doherty set his tablet on her desk and headed across the lobby.
As he reached for the handle, the door burst open and crashed against the wall. A huge man lurched through, knocking Doherty to the floor. The man’s face was scarlet, his eyes ablaze. He beat a fist against the side of his bald head. Like a savage dog, he bared his teeth.
Doherty scrambled away on all fours as the big man threw his head back and screamed once more. The young couple in the corner flattened against the wall. Jamie leaped from the chair, nerves tingling and heart pounding. She reached for the service pistol on her hip.
Assess the situation, her training echoed.
Weapon? One hand carried a motorcycle helmet, and the other continued to pound rhythmically against his head. But the oversized belt covered with electrical wires wasn’t there to hold up his pants.
“Bomb!” she yelled. “Take cover!”
Jamie dropped behind the desk. Down the hallway, doors slammed. The front door crashed against the wall again, hopefully someone getting away.
So much for the light day.
Rising, Jamie peered over the desk and leveled her weapon at the intruder. He swayed in the center of the lobby, eyes glazed. The couple still cowered in the corner, but pacing guy was gone. Crouching behind a large chair, Doherty aimed his gun.
There was no control unit that Jamie could see, but some bombs detonate on a preset timer. The man took one stumbling step, almost tripping. His face contorted in a grimace and blood dripped from one ear, streaming down his neck in a red ribbon. This guy was in pain, not rage.
“Drop!” Doherty yelled. “On the floor, now!”
The intruder collapsed, whether from pain or following orders, Jamie didn’t care. He was down, with no visible weapon or detonator. No reason for either of them to pull the trigger just yet. If it was a bomb, a bullet might even set it off. Hopefully, Doherty was thinking the same.
Jamie rose higher, keeping both hands on her weapon, pointed at the man’s he
ad. She motioned to the frightened couple. “Come over here. Get behind me.” They hurried across the lobby and squatted behind the desk, the young woman sobbing quietly.
With the civilians as safe as she could manage, Jamie’s focus returned to the intruder. He lay on his side, his body heaving with each breath. A red smear across the tiles marked where he’d hit the floor. The leather belt around his waist was at least ten inches wide with what looked like an elongated D-cell battery on one side. Wires crisscrossed its surface, connecting a variety of electronics components. The man’s shirt had lifted above the belt with skin showing. Thank God, no sign of explosives.
Eyes still glued to the figure on the floor, she yelled over her shoulder. “All station personnel. Situation is under control. Suspect is down with injuries.”
Doherty spoke into the radio attached to his left shoulder. “Orlando Southeast precinct, one at gunpoint, two officers on the scene. Signal thirty, forty-four.”
The radio screeched, “Copy, Southeast, two units en route.”
Jamie holstered her gun and pulled out handcuffs. “I’ve got him. Cover me.”
Doherty nodded, keeping his weapon pointed while Jamie rounded the desk and bent over the crumpled body. The man offered no resistance as she cuffed his hands behind his back. She donned latex gloves, put a finger to his neck and located a pulse. She lifted eyelids and checked inside his mouth.
She squatted close to his face. “Can you hear me?”
The man murmured.
“What’s on the belt? Anything dangerous?”
His voice was weak and slurred. Each of his heavy breaths pushed out one word at a time. “Nothing… not… bomb.”
“That’s good. Very good,” Jamie said. She turned to Doherty, whose expression had relaxed a bit even if the grip on his gun was still viselike. “Ambulance on the way?”
Doherty nodded.
The Quantum Series Box Set Page 61