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The multiverse could be much, much bigger than we ever imagined

A new way of interpreting the elusive mathematics of quantum mechanics could fundamentally change our understanding of reality

By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

9 April 2024

Many versions of Earth disappearing into the distance

The many-more-worlds interpretation enlarges the multiverse

Shutterstock/vchal

The multiverse could be infinitely bigger than we ever imagined, according to a new interpretation of quantum mechanics that describes realms upon realms of parallel universes created with every decision we make.

At the heart of quantum mechanics is the wave function, an infamously abstract and fuzzy mathematical tool that is extremely good at describing the behaviour of photons, electrons and other denizens of the quantum realm. But what exactly is the wave function? After almost a century of arguments, physicists still disagree on how…

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