Is a Multiverse Considered a Universe or Multiple Universes?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the conceptual definition of a multiverse and whether it should be classified as a single universe or multiple universes. Participants explore the implications of terminology and the necessity of a mathematical framework to support the existence of a multiverse.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether a multiverse should be considered a single universe or multiple universes, citing an Astronomy professor's claim that a multiverse cannot exist as it would be classified as a universe.
  • Another participant suggests that 'multiverse' is a broad term referring to various 'universes' that may be causally disconnected, emphasizing that the definition of 'universe' is not universally agreed upon.
  • A correction is made regarding the use of the term "casually," which should be "causally," indicating a focus on the nature of connections between universes.
  • Another participant argues that without a mathematical definition or quantifiable criteria for what constitutes an individual universe, discussions about the multiverse may lack intellectual rigor and devolve into mere wordplay.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the definitions and implications of a multiverse, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the ambiguity in the definitions of 'universe' and 'multiverse,' as well as the reliance on terminology that may not be consistently applied across different contexts.

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If we were living in a multiverse, would the right definition be a multiverse? Or would all the universes count as one big universe and not a multiverse? My Astronomy professor said it is impossible for a multiverse to exist because it would be considered an universe.
 
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'Multiverse' is just a broad term that can refer to a scenario in which there are a variety of 'universes' which are casually disconnected.

It's all a matter of terminology. If you consider the universe to be the totality of everything that exists, then you wouldn't use the term multiverse. But there is no definition of 'universe' that is universally used. There can be casually disconnected spacetimes, or 'pocket universe' separated by inflating space - but at the end of the day, it depends on your terminology.
 
casually
should be "causally".
 
mathman said:
should be "causally".

Thanks for the correction. I've become to reliant on spell-check for spelling...
 
That is really just playing with word definition. In order to have an intellectual argument about it, you have to be able to quantify something, otherwise it is just wordplay. So if you had a mathematical definition of what constitutes an individual universe, or an area of theory that predicts other universes that are mathematically discernible from each other, than you would have ground to suppose the existence of a multiverse.
 

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