At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements. 😉
You've heard of dark matter, haven't you? How about parallel universes? So, today let's combine both of these concepts...
What if the unseen matter of the universe belongs to these parallel universes? What if the reason the matter is "dark" is because it is out of phase with our reality?
SO likes watching science shows that make my head spin. ~grin~ Good question, though. Oh, and thanks for asking about my fired green tomatoes. They're delicious! Four tomatoes made a lot and they are still good leftover, even cold. Be well!
ReplyDeleteGlad the tomatoes were good. My question actually stemmed from a newspaper article this time.
DeleteMakes me wonder if the other reality has light matter.
ReplyDeleteYou have me thinking of shadowed universes here, Liz. Love your What If's!
ReplyDeleteI've wondered a lot about dark matter and parallel universes. That's all the realm of quantum physics. It makes for good things to write about in stories!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, quantum physics is great for generating stories. Weird stuff.
DeleteIt seems like a logical conclusion, I think. I'm not much science oriented so not sure what else to say :)
ReplyDeletebetty
Ooh, that's a good one. Especially since I think that's what string theory suggests. Kind of. It's confusing.
ReplyDeleteThat question is for an author far smarter than me. It's interesting to think about, but I wouldn't even know where to begin if I were writing about it. But someone somewhere will write a story out of it—and will tip their hats to you in the acknowledgements. :)
ReplyDeleteDark because it's from another dimension? That makes me think of the movie Event Horizon. They thought they were folding space, but they went to another dimension. Hell, basically.
ReplyDeleteIt might very well be. Despite having attended a "science" high school, I don't have the science chops to write a story about it, though.
ReplyDeleteMy degree is in physics, and I don't have the science chops to write this story ;)
DeleteI like you thinking, Liz. Never thought dark matter that way. Why not? A friend introduced me to the concept of parallel universes several decades ago. We found it comforting to think that in another parallel universe we gave birth to a bunch of kids.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if who, when and what are universes is. But it full of beauty. Just look all around you.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
hmmm, this one has me scratching my head. If this is dark then the other would have to be the lighter. And how can we jump from one universe to the other? Do we really want too?
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily. Dark is just blocked from our view. We could be dark to them, too.
DeleteWell I want whichever one is good and a cool place to live.
Delete:)
DeleteSometimes I strongly suspect we do slip back and forth into parallel universes. It would explain where all my missing objects go only to reappear in the place I looked ten seconds ago.
ReplyDeleteThere was a reboot of the Twilight Zone done in the '80s. In one episode, something similar to what you describe kind of happened. There's nothing that tells us this doesn't happen...
DeleteThat is an interesting thought. It would definitely make an awesome science fiction story, I'd read it :)
ReplyDeleteAh, but how to apply it...
DeleteI love the concept "out of phase with our reality" but I would have no idea how to turn this into a story.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of one episode of ST:TNG, where the away team is in a cave, and find there's a whole culture there, currently existing, but in a different dimension so they can't see it.
There are so many ways to apply that concept. You could make that the theme of an anthology and get all sorts of diverse stories.
DeleteYeah...great concept to ponder about. But it does bring up so many issues of its own.
ReplyDeleteWe’re only capable of understanding our relality in human terms it’s possible heaven, hell and nothingness are just other doorways to other realities.
ReplyDeleteAs good an explanation as any. lol
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