“According to ‘M’ theory, ours is not the only universe. Instead, ‘M’ theory predicts that a great many universes were created out of nothing.”
- January 8, 1942 – March 14, 2018
- British
- Theoretical physicist, science writer
- Announced the black hole singularity theorem and Hawking radiation, and contributed to the popularization of science with his book “Talking about the Universe”
Quote
“According to ‘M’ theory, ours is not the only universe. Instead, ‘M’ theory predicts that a great many universes were created out of nothing.”
Explanation
In this quote, Stephen Hawking references M-theory, a theoretical framework in physics that seeks to unify the various versions of string theory and explain the fundamental forces of nature, including gravity. M-theory suggests that our universe may not be the only one that exists; rather, it is part of a multiverse—a collection of many universes, each with its own set of physical laws and conditions. According to this theory, the creation of these universes does not require a pre-existing state or material; instead, they could emerge from nothing through quantum processes. This radical idea challenges our traditional understanding of the universe’s origin and suggests that multiple universes may have arisen spontaneously, potentially without any external cause or intention.
The concept of a multiverse is still speculative, but M-theory provides a mathematical framework that could explain how multiple, possibly infinite, universes might exist. This aligns with a broader view in modern cosmology that suggests the universe we observe could be just one “bubble” in a much larger cosmic foam, where other “bubbles” (or universes) may exist independently with different properties. The idea that these universes could be created “out of nothing” draws on principles of quantum mechanics, which allow for the possibility of fluctuations in the quantum vacuum, leading to the spontaneous creation of universes, space, and time.
Hawking’s mention of nothingness is also a nod to his philosophical views on the origin of the universe. In his later works, particularly in The Grand Design, Hawking argued that the universe could have originated without the need for a creator. He proposed that laws of physics, such as gravity, could explain the spontaneous creation of the universe, making the need for a divine cause unnecessary. The idea of the multiverse in M-theory fits into this framework, where the creation of universes is an inherent part of the natural laws of physics, rather than a singular, unique event. This perspective challenges traditional metaphysical views and pushes the boundaries of both scientific and philosophical thought.