Universe or Multiverse?

by Edited by Bernard Carr

• ISBN13: 9780521140690
• ISBN10: 0521140692
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-14
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Recent developments in cosmology and particle physics, such as the string landscape picture, have led to the remarkable realization that our universe - rather than being unique - could be just one of many universes. The multiverse proposal helps to explain the origin of the universe and some of its observational features. Since the physical constants can be different in other universes, the fine-tunings which appear necessary for the emergence of life may also be explained. Nevertheless, many physicists remain uncomfortable with the multiverse proposal, since it is highly speculative and perhaps untestable. In this volume, a number of active and eminent researchers in the field - mainly cosmologists and particle physicists but also some philosophers - address these issues and describe recent developments. The articles represent the full spectrum of views, providing for the first time an overview of the subject. They are written at different academic levels, engaging lay-readers and researchers alike.

Author Biography

Bernard Carr is professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL). His research interests include general relativity, the early universe, primordial black holes, dark matter and the anthropic principle.

Table of Contents

List of contributors	p. viii
Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgements	p. xiv
Editorial note	p. xv
Overviews	p. 1
Introduction and overview	p. 3
Living in the multiverse	p. 29
Enlightenment, knowledge, ignorance, temptation	p. 43
Cosmology and astrophysics	p. 55
Cosmology and the multiverse	p. 57
The anthropic principle revisited	p. 77
Cosmology from the top down	p. 91
The multiverse hierarchy	p. 99
The inflationary multiverse	p. 127
A model of anthropic reasoning: the dark to ordinary matter ratio	p. 151
Anthropic predictions: the case of the cosmological constant	p. 163
The definition and classification of universes	p. 181
M/string theory and anthropic reasoning	p. 191
The anthropic principle, dark energy and the LHC	p. 211
Patticle physics and quantum theory	p. 219
Quarks, electrons and atoms in closely related universes	p. 221
The fine-tuning problems of particle physics and anthropic mechanisms	p. 231
The anthropic landscape of string theory	p. 247
Cosmology and the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics	p. 267
Anthropic reasoning and quantum cosmology	p. 275
Micro-anthropic principle for quantum theory	p. 285
More general philosophical issues	p. 321
Scientific alternatives to the anthropic principle	p. 323
Making predictions in a multiverse: conundrums, dangers, coincidences	p. 367
Multiverses: description, uniqueness and testing	p. 387
Predictions and tests of multiverse theories	p. 411
Observation selection theory and cosmological fine-tuning	p. 431
Are anthropic arguments, involving multiverses and beyond, legitimate?	p. 445
The multiverse hypothesis: a theistic perspective	p. 459
Living in a simulated universe	p. 481
Universes galore: where will it all end?	p. 487
Index	p. 507
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