By Prarthana Mitra
Stephen Hawking has left behind a legacy and a final paper about the discovery of a parallel universe that could change the face of the world. Hawking, who died last week, co-authored a paper on his deathbed, which lays out the foundation for other researchers to prove the existence of infinite universes, as reported by The Sunday Times. Hawking—one of the great minds of our generation—co-authored the paper titled A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation with Thomas Hertog.
Also Read: Stephen Hawking, physicist who reshaped Cosmology, dies at 76
Star trekking with Hawking
During his lifetime, Hawking had contributed to significant theories regarding the origin and fabric of our universe, noteworthy among them being the paper in 1983, in which Hawking claimed ours wasn’t the only universe. He proposed and set out to prove that the Big Bang created an infinite number of others – each producing their own universe.
The paper, co-written with Thomas Hertog, discusses the possibility of detecting and measuring the universes using advanced sensors on a spaceship. Carlos Frenk, professor of cosmology, said that it has previously been impossible to measure other universes.
Hertog confirmed that both the scientists wanted to take the idea of a multiverse and turn it into a ‘testable scientific framework”, thus giving cosmologists the first break they needed to verify it for the first time.
Rupture in the fabric may mean end of our existence
According to the multiverse theory, our universe is probably one of the infinite universes created at the time of the Big Bang which have been co-existing for billions of years. Our universe which is known to have come into being due to generation of immense energy at the time of the Big Bang, might fade out of existence when the energy of the stars run out, according to this latest and potentially ground-breaking research. Evidence of other universes could completely change our anthropocentric perception of our universe, the place we occupy in the larger scheme of things, and the meaning of our existence in general.
Hawking’s Legacy
If evidence to support the theory could have been found when Hawking was alive, he and Hertog would have been candidates for the Nobel Prize, which Hawking has always desired but never won. However, Nobel Prizes are not awarded posthumously, and all of Hawking’s theories so far have been difficult to prove with current technology, making him ineligible for the prize. Despite this, Hawking has left back a great legacy and monumental scientific achievements, the importance of which will be proven even greater as time passes.
Also Read: Why Stephen Hawking was smartest when he was wrong
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