If somebody told you that out there in existence there is a universe for every decision you make, big and small, would you believe them? When I say any decision, I mean it—what you decided to have for lunch yesterday, when you left for school, or even where you chose to sit during your break time. Each decision you make is causing a rift in the multiverse and creating new universes with every possible outcome for anything you do. 

What I have just described to you is known as the Multiverse Theory, which details the possibility of infinite universes for every possible outcome of any decision in the world at any time. Now don’t get me wrong, this is fascinating, but it is also terrifying.

This idea of space being never-ending, full of different worlds, leads all the way back to the Ancient Greeks, who had a belief that when the Earth was created, an accidental colliding of atoms created infinite parallel universes; however, it is still relevant in recent years, with notable scientists like Stephen Hawking performing research to prove its existence (Sedacca). 

Throughout the entire existence of this theory, the only thing we have learned is that we will never truly know if it is true. Now, some people may be content with this fact; to others, however, this is tormenting. The true question that this theory brings isn’t whether you believe in the existence of a multiverse; rather, it is whether the idea of never being able to know scares you. To some, this sounds fascinating and brings them something to ponder when they feel philosophical. If you aren’t one of those people, the pure existence of this idea either annoys you or frightens you. Which are you? Are you the type to hear about this, think for a second, shrug your shoulders, and move on? Or perhaps are you the type of person to whom this idea will stick in your mind for a while, reminding you that there are mysteries that you, or anyone, could never see the resolution to?

Somewhere out there in the multiverse, there could be alternate versions of us—some versions practically the same, and some completely unrecognizable. Despite that, we will never get to meet them, at least in this lifetime. In these other universes, you might not even exist. Every part of this theory relies on the fact that decisions that anyone in the world may or may not have made throughout their life affects something else that we can’t even see. Does that terrify you?

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Source: cosmos.nautil.us