Infinity and beyond

Recently I went to see the film Yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you don’t know the premise of this film it goes like this. A struggling singer/songwriter, Jack Malik, is astounded to discover that he is apparently the only person on Earth who can remember the Beatles and their music, after he wakes up in an alternative reality where they never existed, following a worldwide blackout. However something was puzzling me as I walked home. The fact that most other things in Jack’s life remain the same made me feel that the whole thing was a bit far fetched. That was until I started looking into the concept of infinity.

If you accept the idea of infinity, then parallel universes, alternate realities, or a “multiverse”, whatever name you choose to use, must exist. In other words there’s a universe out there for every outcome that is conceivable. This made the film’s plot a lot more feasible. The multiverse, a theory that a few decades ago would have been relegated to the very fringe of theoretical physics has now become quite mainstream in the world of science. This doesn’t make it any less mind-boggling.

However, the fact that Jack manages to slip into a parallel universe might still be a step too far. But, again, if you believe in infinity then Jack, and all of us for that matter, may be living in a universe that allows you to cross into other universes. Anything’s possible. And so it goes on and on and on – ad infinitum.

I was surprised to discover that there are many stories that claim to be proof of the existence of alternative realities. My favourite, because it’s such a great tale, is that of Taured Man. In the summer of 1954, a neatly-dressed, middle-aged man arrived at Tokyo International Airport. He was asked his country of origin and replied that he was from Taured. The officials told him this country did not exist. The man then proceeded to show them his passport, complete with legitimate visa stamps and a driving licence, both issued in Taured. Needing to investigate the issue further, he was sent to a hotel accompanied by two immigration officers who stood outside his hotel room, fifteen stories up, all night. In the morning he had completely disappeared. He was never seen again. Whether this was just an elaborate hoax, or proof of parallel universes, we’ll never know.

I have to confess that, lately, when I watch the news, I feel like I might have drifted into an alternative reality; or else I wish that I could! This, though, is defeatist talk. Unless there is a way to get from one universe to another, we’re stuck in the one we’ve got – warts and all. Looking on the bright side, infinity dictates that there is no other universe that has the exact version of us in it – we’re all unique. So we need to make the best choices we can, because our future in this universe is the only one we’re going to get. Unless …

Photo by Pixabay