The idea that the universe constantly splits into alternate realities has had a surprisingly warm reception in science, philosophy and popular literature. But this baroque solution to the unique problems of quantum mechanics is simply not good science. Not only should we resist its strange appeal, it’s time to find another way, writes Philip Ball.
Alternative realities hold an irresistible allure. Whether it’s Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, or the quantum-computed parallel universes of Alex Garland’s recent TV series Devs, the possible lives that we can imagine having led but did not lead offer a stage for acting out our fears and fantasies. Like Robert Frost’s traveller confronted with diverging paths in a wood, we often wonder where the road not taken might have borne us.
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