According to Wikipedia

[Verivici]

The number of universes in String Theory is 10^10 to 10^100, not 10^500. So uh, there it is i guess.

 

[Antvasima]

Well, according to the science article that I found, it is 10^500, and Wikipedia is recirrently unreliable. However, it depends on whether the reference that they used was better than our own.

 

[Verivici]

http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0303194

Thoughts?

 

[Antvasima]

Well, that is a paper from 2003. Our source is newer, so the estimation has likely been updated:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...ations-lend-support-to-multiverse-hypothesis/

 

[Dekoshu]

So what's the true answer?

 

[Antvasima]

We will likely have to go with our previous value, as it is far more up to date.

 

[Dekoshu]

Previous value? Wasn't it even greater or fewer?

 

[Antvasima]

10^500 universes, yes.

 

[Verivici]

Antvasima, since you are a long time editor at Wikipedia, perhaps you would be interested in correcting that there?

 

[LordAizenSama]

Ant is already very busy as it is, and hes not obligated to fix or update wikipedia mistake so..

 

[Lina_Shields]

Personally, I would keep the value for 10^500 universes for a multiverse as it is. I will update the wikipedia with the appropriate link, although Wiki may question how valid scientificamerican is in terms of actual validity.

Can anyone provide me with the actual wiki link and line on where the "10^10 to 10^100 universes in string theory" comes from? I will update it with the new link from there.

 

[Antvasima]

I do not know if they accept Scientific American as a source. It would be preferable if we find a link to the research article that the magazine uses as a basis for the value.

 

[Antvasima]

Here are the results of a Google Scholar search, but I do not know which research paper that is most appropriate to use: https://scholar.google.se/scholar?q...00"+universes&btnG=&hl=sv&as_sdt=0,5&as_vis=1

 

[Dekoshu]

This is the proper one.

 

[Antvasima]

Where?

 

[Dekoshu]

What you're linking us to, Antvasima.

 

[Antvasima]

No, that is just a list of research papers that might mention it. I have no idea which one that is the most relevant, and that actually calculates the number.

 

[Dekoshu]

Oh. All right. So we'll need to see which is quite reliable and discontinue the other when appropriate.

 

[Antvasima]

Well, the current source is probably sufficient for our purposes, but not for Wikipedia's.

 

[Dekoshu]

So it is still pending?

 

[Antvasima]

We need to find a research paper defining the value as 10^500, if we sre going to update Wikipedia, yes. However, we can keep or current source for ourselves.

 

[Dekoshu]

You mean properly defining the value? The inconsistent updates, and the editing of more than necessary, is obnoxious. Research papers should be properly defining the value.

 

[Lina_Shields]

Just a reminder, there should be no rush for this as most people will not look at these types of issues in detail.

However, linking the article from ScientificAmerican, and linking the exact quote in regards to the 10^500 universes would be a good idea since users can use Ctrl+F to see where our thoughts about this came from.

 

[Antvasima]

We have already linked to the Scientific American article in the Tiering System page.

 

[Dekoshu]

If we have the Scientific Amercian article in the Tiering System...but still, the "^500" supposed to be five hundred zeros of a number of actual universes and not just pocket dimensions?

 

[Antvasima]

Actual universes, yes.

 

[Dekoshu]

If this explains about the String Theory, then what explains something greater than 10^500 universes and/or universal space-time continuums?

 

[Antvasima]

Fiction does not always have to follow scientific logic.

 

[Dekoshu]

Most forms of fiction or other realities do not have to follow every single scientific logic, that is unambiguous and/or incontrovertible. That means even in those universes, it's not merely not required to follow, but is inapplicable or fictional to those worlds, yet scientific logic, including the string theory, is taken into account completely by other worlds, including this one.

 

[Antvasima]

Well, fictional multiverses are recurrently stated to contain an "infinite" number of universes.

 

[Dekoshu]

Well, fictional multiverses are recurrently stated to contain an "infinite" number of universes.

That makes sense, too. Does that include infinite multiverses?

 

[Antvasima]

I do not understand the question.

 

[Dekoshu]

Like, if there are an infinite number of universes, doesn't that include an infinite number of multiverses, which already contains the universes?

 

[Antvasima]

No, usually not.