Stephen Hawking died on March 14, 2018. But before his death, he left a research paper that discusses a technique to prove or disprove the existence of parallel universes.
British researcher Stephen Hawking died of Charcot’s disease on March 14, 2018 in Cambridge, aged 76. But two weeks before his death, the astrophysicist published a last article in collaboration with the Belgian Thomas Hertog, professor of physics. This article, titled “A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation“delves into the theme of the “multiverse”.
A multiverse that would have left traces
Updated shortly before his death, therefore, the scientific article intends to question several theories relating to the Big Bang. In a communiqué, Stephen Hawking Explain :
“The usual theory of eternal inflation predicts that, overall, our universe is like an infinite fractal, with a patchwork of different pocket universes, separated by an expanding ocean.”
He adds :
“The “local” laws of physics and chemistry may differ from one pocket universe to another, which together would form a multiverse. But I’ve never been a fan of the multiverse. If the scale of the different universes in the multiverse is large or infinite, the theory cannot be tested.“
So, was Stephen Hawking ultimately against the multiverse theory? Not really. In fact, he proposes another, more “simpler” theory.
A conceptual representation of the eternal inflation theory – infinite bubble universes emerging constantly in inflationary space. #skiartpic.twitter.com/O8ZHgh2iBa
— IAmSciArt (@IAmSciArt) July 22, 2017
Multiverses that we could detect
“We assume that the output of eternal inflation does not produce a fractal-like infinite multiverse but is finite and reasonably smoother“, indicates the researcher. Translation: if there is a multiverse, the parallel universes would be fewer than expected.
For Stephen Hawking and Thomas Hertog, parallel universes had to be measurable through the radiation generated by the Big Bang. The technique capable of proving or disproving the existence of these parallel worlds would therefore rely on a probe. According to the University of Cambridge: “Hertog plans to study the implications of the new theory at smaller scales that are within reach of our space telescopes..”
Experts have told the Times that such work could potentially receive the Nobel Prize. However, this award cannot be given posthumously, and Stephen Hawking could therefore not be eligible.