Parallel Worlds

 And

Quantum Mechanics

“Double Slit Test” Results

The images depicted above represent the results of what is known as the “Double Slit Test” which was conducted by Thomas Young, perhaps the first student of quantum mechanics which is basically the study of how tiny sub-atomic particles behave. The results of which, has been submitted by many proponents for the existence of Parallel Worlds; they say this test proves that such places actually exist. Parallel universes have been argued or supported by individuals such as Albert Einstein and in 1956 by a young Princeton University doctoral candidate named Hugh Everett III.  

Prior to Young’s Slit Test referenced above, you should know that practically everyone in the scientific community considered Isaac Newton’s theory that light was made up of tiny particles (protons), and thus traveled in a straight line, was nothing less than the gospel of science.

Then in 1803 or there about, along came Thomas Young with his now famous Double Slit Test.  Here is my account of how the experiment goes: If light (or any other subatomic material) were focused in a straight line through a single slit located, in say, a sheet of thick card stock paper, and allowed to strike a screen or may-be a blank wall on the other side, we would expect to see a pattern corresponding to the size and shape of the slit, right? Right.

Now imagine we make two slits on that paper but choose to cover up the left slit and just allow a beam of light to pass through the slit on the right side. We would then expect to see a vertical line corresponding to the light passing through the single slit. The same result is expected if we covered up the right slit and just allowed light to pass through the left slit.

Next, see what happens if we uncover both slits, allowing light to pass through each side at the same time … If the light passing through just the right slit produced an illuminated column, and light passing through just the left column produced the same thing, only moved over to the left a little bit, then wouldn't opening both slits just produce the two illuminated strips simultaneously? This is what common sense suggests to me, and it's also what the particle theory of light is said to predict.   Alas, in this case, our common sense is dead wrong.   We do not observe two illuminated regions. What we do see is what is called an interference pattern instead.

The result may be described as a single bright but comparatively broad strip and to the right and left are lines / strips of darkness, next to those dark strips are attached fainter light strips, and so on.  This behavior is known to occur in wave phenomena but not particle phenomena!

Well as you would expect, this pretty much eliminated Newton’s particle light theory and ushered in the thinking that light must be in the very least some form of a wave, some what like waves created on the surface of a pond when a rock or pebble is tossed into a pool or pond.  The truth is however that it has since been determined that light, as well as other subatomic partials, such as electrons, actually possess both wave and particle behaviors.

But that’s not all; this seemingly simple test has been used by scientists such as Albert Einstein as well as Hugh Everett III, to support their theory that parallel worlds are not just science fiction. 

Here’s why or how they arrived at such a conclusion: During the referenced Double Slit Test there is normally a 50-50 chance that a given electron or light beam that is being directed at the two slits will travel through one or the other of the two slits. But, Einstein and others have theorized that as electrons travel toward the slits, they somehow stop behaving like particles and start behaving like waves instead.  This means that they in turn end up producing the 'interference' pattern I described a few paragraphs above.

The electron somehow interferes with itself by splitting into two identical parts then advancing through both slits at the same time, in other words, it exists in two places at the same time. But more precisely, what happens is, our universe has actually created a new universe, one in which the newly formed electron goes through the second slit while the original electron travels through the first slit.

In this way, Einstein and Everett both arrived at the same conclusion regarding the theory of parallel worlds. Einstein, not only believed in parallel universes but he actually speculated on their possible environments and conditions.

Everett in fact went on to explain that within these worlds, wars would have had different outcomes; species that are extinct in our world may have evolved and adapted in others; and we humans may have even become extinct within a parallel world.

Here’s a whole other issue that no one has yet to explain.  As relayed above light is now typically described as being what some may call a “particle wave” instead of only one or the other, it’s actually both.

Someone of recent date decided to prove that the particle to wave transformation really occurred during the Double Slit Test.  This could be accomplished by taking ‘snap-shots’ of the sub-atomic particles during the process.  Sounds like a reasonable idea, right?

The only thing is, when the ‘sub-atomic material’ being used for the experiment was being “watched” they decided to remain in particle form rather than go to all the trouble of switching themselves into a wave form. This tiny sub-atomic material seemed to know that they were being watched so they choose to remain in particle form.

There exists a cute little animated video clip that explains this a lot better; you can see this for yourself on You Tube; it only lasts about 3 minutes or so, but I think its well worth viewing.

Here is a link to that site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc   

Sources …

http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/parallel-universe.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse                                                              http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-theory-of-parallel-universes.html  http://physics.about.com/od/lightoptics/a/doubleslit.htm  http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/home/Frontpage/2007/07/20/01653.html   http://physics.about.com/od/lightoptics/a/doubleslit_2.htm       http://library.thinkquest.org/2890/para.htm                                                     http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/manyworlds/time-nf.html               http://www.thehowandwhy.com/doubleslit.html    http://physics.about.com/od/quantumphysics/f/manyworldsinterpretation.htm      http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2966880                                                       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc