Hall of mirrors

A recent article argues that the “universe’s topology may not be simple.” (1) More simplistically, we may be seeing reflections that make the universe appear much larger than it really is. This makes sense and it may provide further impetus to the simulation hypothesis. More generally, it throws much of what we thought we knew about the universe into question.

First humans looking into the heavens may have thought about this. It was impossible to envision a universe as huge as the status-quo expectation. It would have been a waste, especially if “God,” created such a system for her creations on Earth to see and enjoy. Any level of optimization would have naturally led to a geometry that loops in and provides an impression of huge size. She apparently put the Earth at the center of the universe (well, just like anywhere else), and then provided a mirror trick to make humans believe in her power.

As they say, “they do it with mirrors.”

(1) Physics — The Universe’s Topology May Not Be Simple (aps.org)