The Planck space observatory has provided us the clearest and most complete picture of the early universe we have ever had, a composite picture of the background radiation of the entire sky. Interestingly, that picture doesn’t look quite like what we were expecting:
Cosmologists studying a map of the universe from data gathered by the Planck spacecraft have concluded that it shows anomalies that can only have been caused by the gravitational pull of other universes.
The map shows radiation from the Big Bang 13.8billion years ago that is still detectable in the universe – known as cosmic microwave radiation.
Scientists had predicted that it should be evenly distributed, but the map shows a stronger concentration in the south half of the sky and a ‘cold spot’ that cannot be explained by current understanding of physics.
Okay, well something has to have caused those anomalies. And I suppose other universes are as good an explanation as any.
One question, though: where are those universes now? They should be right where they always were and — and am I missing something, here? — no nearer to or farther from this universe than they were back in those days. Yes, our universe is bigger now, but it hasn’t moved relative to those other universes. So shouldn’t there be ways to confirm this hypothesis by looking for their present-day influence on our universe?
Or maybe it has moved. Or maybe those other universes are moving away from us. (I’m speaking in very simple terms, here. What would actually be happening would involve more spatial dimensions than most of us are comfortable thinking about.)
In any case, if this truly is evidence of universes other than our own, this is a big deal. The idea that they not only exist, but can exert influence on this universe makes it even a bigger deal.