Science News

The notion of multiple universes is one that cosmologists like to theorize about but generally don’t relish proving, mainly because doing so would be very difficult. But a team of researchers that showed a few years ago how matter might travel between our universe and others now think they ought to be able to observe this phenomenon in action using existing technology, lending credence to the multiverse theory. All they need is a neutron bottle, some neutrons, and a year.

Some time ago, I interviewed Weinberg about his work and the anthropic principle, which led him to this striking prediction. “The universe,” he told me, “could well be like a giant Schrödinger’s Cat. There are parts of the universe where the cat is alive, where the cosmological constant is just the right level and there are scientists there observing it and asking questions. And there are parts of the universe where the cat is dead—where the cosmological constant is too small or too large and therefore there is no life and no scientists asking questions about the universe.” To me, this image of the giant cat is the best analogy for a universe governed by the powerful, and yet perhaps disturbing, idea of the anthropic principle.