Do you ever feel like there’s more to this world
than just this world? Do you ever imagine that all that we know could represent just a tiny,
tiny fraction of all that there is to know? When it comes to big thinking, it doesn’t get
much bigger than the multiverse. But what does this increasingly popular term actually mean?
And what would it be like to fully unlock it? This is Unveiled, and today we’re taking a closer
look at everyday life in a level four multiverse. Do you need the big ques
tions answered? Are
you constantly curious? Then why not subscribe to Unveiled for more clips like this one? And
ring the bell for more thought-provoking content! It wasn’t so long ago that ideas on
the multiverse were only ever debated by a select few, seemingly crazy,
theoretical scientists, physicists, mathematicians and philosophers. Today,
though, the multiverse is everywhere. It’s a general concept that has well
and truly broken into the mainstream, used (as it is) as a key plot devi
ce in so many
science fiction storylines. Broadly, it’s the suggestion that there are other universes beyond
our own, and usually that every universe combined is in some way connected to an overarching
whole that we then call the multiverse. Still, though, the multiverse isn’t only the
plaything for superheroes and comic books, and it remains a deeply serious, potentially
life-changing field of technical and scientific research. Many of the world's top thinkers
have lent their thoughts to
the subject, although today we’re focusing
on the ideas of Max Tegmark, in particular. Tegmark is a Swedish-American
physicist and MIT professor who’s actually best known for his extensive work on the future
and impact of artificial intelligence. However, he has also famously contributed a four-tier model
as to how the multiverse might actually work. Writing for “Scientific American” in 2003, he
outlines his parameters. In Tegmark’s multiverse, level one is beyond our cosmic horizon. He
de
scribes it as “the least controversial type”, and it concerns the potential infiniteness
of the unobservable universe; that is, there’s the possibility for tweaked physics
and alter egos somewhere beyond as far as we can see. Next, Tegmark refers to level two
as being other postinflation bubbles. Here, he predicts that there could be “an infinite set
of distinct level one multiverses, some perhaps with different spacetime dimensionality and
different physical constants”. These distinct mult
iverses would likely exist as though inside
bubbles, along another, higher, infinite plane. For level three, Tegmark explains it as being
quantum many worlds. It relies on the famous Many Worlds Interpretation, first proposed by
the American theoretical physicist Hugh Everett, in 1957. In short, at level three you have
all of the multiverses already made possible via levels one and two, only all of that is made
infinitely more intricate by the quantum branching of reality at every single mo
ment whenever
a decision is made or a random event occurs. Then, finally, we come to level four.
In his piece for “Scientific American”, Tegmark summarizes it as being other mathematical
structures. In presenting this, his highest rung to reality, he says; “the initial conditions
and physical constants in the level one, two and three multiverses can vary, but the
fundamental laws that govern nature remain the same”... but then he asks, why stop there?
Why not allow the laws themselves to v
ary, as well? Now, Tegmark enters into a supreme
dimension in which literally anything really is possible. Why not a universe with no quantum
effects?, he asks. Why not one where time comes in steps instead of being continuous? Or one where
the universe is “simply an empty dodecahedron”? One of the reasons why Tegmark’s level four
immediately demands attention is because it seemingly tackles the eternal problem as to
why mathematics is like it is. In general, mathematics is what physicists
fall
back on last of all, in search of some kind of structure and predictability
for the universe. However, at level four, even this is subject to change. It’s the
highest level because it’s also the last bastion of conventional scientific thought to give
way. So, and to return to our opening question, what would it be like to live at
such an exalted state of being? To start, Tegmark himself concedes that it’s no
easy task trying to imagine how level four would work. Writing about the univ
erses allowed
at level four, he says; “existing outside of space and time, they are almost impossible
to visualize”. Clearly, then, everyday life for a level four entity would be akin to everyday
life as the highest of all gods, to our minds. To picture such an existence is to conjure up images
of supernatural power and total omniscience. It’s simply not something that the humble human
mind, as it is, could properly comprehend. A level four might be split, though, between
the large and sma
ll scale phenomena that it would encounter. On the one hand, at level
four you can view an endless tapestry of possible realities, as though from above.
Imagine holding a handful of sand on Earth, but then knowing that every grain of that sand
also doubles up as an infinite multiverse, in its own right. To us, the multiverse is
incomprehensibly huge but, at level four, the lower grades of multiverse are
small and insignificant. Could you ever stop to consider every piece of sand
as you wal
ked along the beach? Yes or no, that’s the scale at which a level four being would
have all of reality laid out in front of them. On the other hand, however, nothing knows more
about the smallest things possible than a level four power. So, regardless of its ability to view
even the largest possible structures from afar, it would also know all that there is to know about
the quantum realm, as well. Or about the quantum equivalent in all other mathematical universes
where quanta isn’t actual
ly present. The Many Worlds Interpretation, while mind-boggling for
us, would be mundane to it. The splitting of reality along every possible crevice of chance and
decision is something that our science fiction has had a lot of fun with in recent years. But,
at level four, it’s as everyday as oxygen. Next, there’s the question
of time. Although, again, even it might not be that important once
you ascend to level four, proper. For us, time is everything. Whether or not it’s an
illusion, it’
s what guides everything we do, every way we live, and it’s what defines
every cause and effect in our universe. But, at level four, it may be that time is nothing.
That it’s merely a physical property by which some (possibly an infinitely tiny fraction)
of universes are governed. Step out of those universes, and perhaps time is no more. Again,
at level four anything is seemingly possible. Of course, the bizarre realization is that
if a level four multiverse does exist then we’re already ex
periencing everyday life
within it. Sure, we may only ever know an impossibly small part of what level four
is in its entirety, but still… we’re here. If Tegmark’s level one rings true, then
one implication is that there must surely be different versions of ourselves even within
this universe, such is the nature of infinity. If level two hits the mark, then there could well
be any number of other lifeforms and environments somewhere beyond the cosmic bubble that we’re
ultimately held withi
n. At level three, there’s all of that plus the infinite re-renderings
along an endless quantum plane. At level four, there’s all of that plus an infinite number
of mathematical reworkings… within which any number of other possibilities
could ultimately unfold. But, again, it’s no less true that we already are living
everyday life within that higher, grander reality. Naturally, there are follow-on questions. Not
least, are we safe here? And could we ever hope to tap into the higher powers t
hat Tegmark
imagines could be possible? In terms of safety, perhaps there’s no knowing… but perhaps it’s
also not worth worrying about. It’s a fact of life that there are forces in existence
that could snuff us out at any moment, just in this universe. Be that a sudden
asteroid strike or the fatal eruption of vacuum decay. And yet, we don’t allow the fear
of those to derail our lives or societies… so we shouldn’t really need to ponder level
four with particular pessimism, either. In terms
of the potential for human beings
to break into the multiverse, at any level, the future is far from clear. Right now, the
multiverse, in general, is an idea without empirical evidence. It’s a theory that’s seemingly
growing stronger and stronger by the day… but, still, and as with so much else about the true
nature of reality, it remains shrouded in mystery. What do you think? Is the multiverse real?
And, if so, could it really be as extensive as Max Tegmark imagines? For now, that’s what
everyday life would be like at level four… although whether or not we could ever make
it so far, is very much still up for debate. In the modern world, it seems as though science
and technology is developing and improving at a faster than ever pace. Compare where human society
was one hundred years ago to where it is today, purely from a technological point of view, and
there’s a vast chasm of difference. So much has changed between then and now that, were you
to somehow travel back in tim
e to the 1920s to inform people alive then of what was to come,
they likely wouldn’t believe you. But equally, when we look into our own future, and
try to predict what’s on the horizon, it can be hard to picture how the potential
changes could impact humans like ourselves. So, this is Unveiled, and today
we’re exploring what everyday life would be like in a Type Three civilization. Admittedly, according to almost all projections,
even the most optimistic ones, it’s likely going to take a l
ot longer than one hundred years before
we reach Type Three. For our regular viewers, the Kardashev Scale is by now a well-known
concept… proposed, as it was, by the Soviet astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev in the 1960s.
The Scale famously imagines various levels of future human civilization, beginning at Level One,
and rising through Levels Two, Three, and then according to more recent expansions made to it,
Levels Four, Five, and beyond. At Level Three - or Type Three - a civilization has
harnessed all
of the available energy from its home galaxy, which in our case is the Milky Way. But, dwindling
as we are at around Level 0.7 at the moment, we’re a long, long way away from that. While
estimates do vary, one of the most often-cited ballpark figures comes from the famed theoretical
physicist, Michio Kaku, who has predicted that humanity might reach Type Three somewhere
between 100,000 and one million years from now. Nevertheless, we can still dare to dream that
we’ll reach T
ype Three quicker than that. And even if we don’t it’s fun (and maybe even
necessary) to consider how a Type Three would work, given the much-debated possibility
that if there is alien life out there, then some of it might be operating at that
level. So, for the rest of this video, we’re imaging that humankind has soared up
the Kardashev Scale and is a Type Three… how does your day start, how does it end,
and what happens in the time in between? Well, when you wake up in the morning, the ch
ances
are that it won’t be on Earth. In fact, a Type Three human might not have any recollection of
Earth, at all. By this stage, we’re a full-blown intergalactic species. Which means that there
would be many, many billions of us, spread out to all corners of the Milky Way, and most likely
into other galaxies as well. There may still be some humans on Earth, but whole generations will
have by now lived and died on other planets, and in other star systems. The majority of humans
will’ve sou
ght pastures (and planets) new. Open your curtains (or whatever the Type Three
equivalent of curtains is) and you could well be looking out on an alien landscape… but, also,
at a sky without an immediately obvious sun. Dyson Spheres are probably the most well-known
requirement for a Type Two civilization… that is, one which has harnessed all the energy of
its own star. So, by the time of Type Three, Dyson Spheres (or Dyson Swarms) should be standard
practice, and potentially every star in t
he galaxy could be enclosed within one. This wouldn’t
automatically mean that everything was dark, though… just that the energy emitted by stars
was being wholly controlled, and sent only to where it’s needed. In general, the higher up the
Kardashev Scale you climb, the more efficient a civilization should become… so much so that even
starlight would now be measured to perfection. So, you’ve opened your eyes, opened your curtains,
now to get out of bed and stretch out your body, ready for t
he day ahead. Except your body would
probably be very different. Some have predicted that, by the time of Type Three, organic
humans might be a thing of the past. The unfortunate fact is that our natural bodies,
despite all the incredible things they can do, aren’t as efficient as they could be. Bones
break, muscles weaken, chemical imbalances happen, and we all inevitably age. There are various
routes we could travel down to achieve immortality (if immortality is ever possible) but at the
very
least members of a Type Three civilization will likely have long been upgrading their bodies,
since as far back as Type Two and even the latter stages of Type One. This means your Type
Three self could have anything, from reinforced arms and therefore superstrength, to cybernetic
eardrums and therefore perfect hearing. And, again, anything your optimum body can do should
also be under your complete control. Perhaps, you’d be able to turn your senses on and
off… or condition your muscl
es without ever needing to actually exercise. Once
more, efficiency is the name of the game. Next, it’s breakfast and off to work. Food
is almost impossible to predict this far out from Type Three, but you can bet that every
last milligram of it will be beneficial in some way. Far future science fiction often
substitutes food as we understand it for something much less varied, like a one-a-day
pill or drink. In whichever way it’s served, though, there should be no
waste whatsoever… and foo
d, like all other energy sources at Type Three,
should perfectly suit the needs of the consumer. The nature of work is equally difficult to
predict, particularly as most conceptions of a Type Three civilization foresee robots
pretty much everywhere. AI by now should be so common and widespread that it’s barely ever
called into question. The use of machines will no doubt have been a major reason as to how humans
will have achieved Type Three in the first place, and so - if we were to get to
this level -
then it perhaps figures that the robots and us would be on good terms. But still, there is
a whole lot of energy production that goes into maintaining a Type Three society… so there would
likely still be regular old human jobs going, as well. Not to mention any roles that
remain in sectors traditionally thought to be less suited to a robot revolution,
such as in science, law, or the arts. The commute to work, though… here’s where we
could’ve gone one of two ways. In one versio
n of future humanity, we break the apparent laws
of physics and develop a means to travel faster than the speed of light, and we get to work
(or anywhere else in the galaxy) that way. In another version of future humanity, we build
a massive, wide-reaching, and reliable network of wormholes. Because, ultimately, nothing
says technological advancement quite like stepping through a cosmic doorway and emerging
out the other side in a different realm of the galaxy! Wormholes are theoretically p
ossible,
and they would certainly make the business of harvesting a galaxy’s worth of energy much more
feasible… but there’s really no telling whether they ever will or won’t happen. Regardless
of how we achieve it, however, a steady, dependable, and fast means of cross-galaxy
travel would be a must in a Type Three world. But finally, what happens after the working day
is done? As a member of a Type Three civilization, the literal galaxy is your oyster. You might
choose to visit friends on
a different planet, to cruise between star systems just because you
can, or you might prefer to just stay at home and watch the Type Three version of television.
Whatever you opt for, you at least can be safe in the knowledge that your species, humankind, is
here to stay. Because were we to reach Type Three on the Kardashev Scale, then we could safely
say that almost nothing could threaten our general existence. Whereas now there’s always
the vague possibility of an asteroid strike or some
other cosmic disruption to wipe out life
as we know it, for Type Three beings there’d be no such danger. Comfortably spread out across
a galaxy, it would now take a galaxy-wide event to doom us forever. And, even if such an event
did take place, what would there be to stop us from just wormholing our way out of the line
of fire? Thanks to our technological knowhow, we’ll have reached a stage where even the
highest level of disaster couldn’t worry us. So, all things considered, how would yo
u feel
about living in a world like this? At a moment in human history when today’s reality is long
forgotten, and all the stars in the sky are reachable? For now, it’s a sci-fi fantasy… but
there are many schools of thought to say that it is where we’re heading. And that’s what everyday
life would be like in a Type Three civilization. What do you think? Is there anything we missed?
Let us know in the comments, check out these other clips from Unveiled, and make sure you subscribe
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