The Nine Nations of North America

The 1981 book The Nine Nations of North America by Washington Post reporter Joel Garreau was an attempt to explore the regional geography of the North American continent and assign portions of the continent to one of nine nations, which are geographic regions that have consistent qualities and similar features. The nine nations of North America, as proposed by Garreau include: The FoundryMexAmericaThe BreadbasketEcotopiaNew EnglandThe Empty QuarterDixieQuebecThe Islands What follows is a summary of each of the nine nations and their qualities. Links in the titles of each region lead to the complete online chapter regarding that region from the book The Nine Nations of North America from Garreaus website. The Foundry Includes New York, Pennsylvania, and the Great Lakes Region. At the time of publication (1981), The Foundry region was in significant decline as a manufacturing center. The region includes the metropolitan areas of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Toronto, and Detroit. Garreau selected Detroit as the capital city of this region but considered Manhattan an anomaly within the region. MexAmerica With a capital city of Los Angeles, Garreau proposed that the Southwestern United States (including Californias Central Valley) and Northern Mexico would be a region onto itself. Stretching from Texas to the Pacific Coast, MexAmericas common Mexican heritage and the Spanish language unite this region. The Breadbasket Much of the Midwest, stretching from northern Texas to the southern parts of the Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba), this region is essentially the Great Plains and is, according to Garreau, the heartland of North America. Garreaus proposed capital city is Kansas City. Ecotopia Named after a book of the same name, Ecotopia with a capital city of San Francisco is the liberal Pacific Coast from southern Alaska to Santa Barbara, including the Washington, Oregon, and Northern California metropolitan areas of Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. New England Consisting of what is traditionally known as New England (Connecticut to Maine), this region of the nine nations includes the Canadian Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, along with the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The capital of New England is Boston. The Empty Quarter The Empty Quarter includes everything from about 105 degrees west longitude to Ecotopia on the Pacific Coast. It also includes everything north of the Breadbasket so it includes all of Alberta and Northern Canada. The capital city of this sparsely populated nation is Denver. Dixie The Southeastern United States except for Southern Florida. Some refer to Dixie as being the former Confederate States of America but it doesnt travel directly along state lines. It includes southern Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The capital city of Dixie is Atlanta. Quebec Garreaus only nation that consists of a single province or state is Francophone Quebec. Their constant efforts at succession led him to create this unique nation out of the province. Obviously, the capital of the nation is Quebec City. The Islands Southern Florida and the islands of the Caribbean comprise the nation known as The Islands. With a capital city of Miami. At the time of the books publication, this regions main industry was drug smuggling. The best available online map of the Nine Nations of North America comes from the cover of the book itself.

Free Candide Essays The Good And Evil - 950 Words

The Good and Evil in Candide Candide was raised up in Westphalia in Europe in the castle with the Baron of Thunder-Ten-Tronckh, the baroness, their daughter Cunegonde and their son Maximilian. (Hellman, 2008) Candide was considered a bastard son from his sister and is the nephew of the Baron. (Hellman, 2008) Candide fell in love with his daughter Cunegonde and confessed his love to her, but the baron would not have his daughter marrying a bastard child, so the Baron booted Candide out of Westphalia. (Puchner, 2012) The easy, laid back life he once knew is no longer in existence. Candide now has to rely on being optimistic and living on Pangloss’s (his Tutor) Philosophical side which he is greatly looking up to. By doing so, Candide has to learn to reject the evil around him so it doesn’t swallow him up and take over the good that he possesses. The world is full of evil that he will soon embark upon and will see how the other side has to live being poor. Candide’s faith is tested in several a dventures full of misfortune and disasters. (Hellman, 2008) Even though Candide was reared to only believe in the good in the world and to always look on the bright side of things, evil did consume him at times. It was stated that â€Å"Candide faces the first contradiction of his optimistic vision of the world: he is a commoner and a bastard, and cannot marry Cunegonde, the noble daughter of the Baron† (Hellman, 2008). After he was thrown out of Westphalian there were invaders who ravagedShow MoreRelatedFree Candide Essays : The Good And Evil942 Words   |  4 PagesThe Good and Evil in Candide Candide was brought up in Westphalia in Europe in the castle with the Baron of Thunder-Ten-Tronckh, the baroness, their daughter Cunegonde and their son Maximilian. (Hellman, 2008) Candide was considered a bastard son of his sister and is the nephew of the Baron. (Hellman, 2008) Candide fell in love with his daughter Cunegonde and confessed his love to her but the baron would not have his daughter marrying a bastard child, so the Baron kicked Candide out of WestphaliaRead MoreEssay about Use of Satire in Voltaires Candide1568 Words   |  7 PagesSatire in Voltaires Candide Voltaires Candide is the story of how one mans adventures affect his philosophy on life. 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The following essay will outline the philosophical theory of Pangloss, a character of the novel and suggestRead More A Comparison of the Ideals of Bronte in Jane Eyre and Voltaire in Candide2672 Words   |  11 PagesThe Ideals of Bronte in Jane Eyre and Voltaire in Candide      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subjective novelists tend to use personal attitudes to shape their characters. Whether it be an interjection of opinion here, or an allusion to personal experience there, the beauty of a story lies in the clever disclosure of the authors personality. Charlotte Bronte and Voltaire are no exceptions. Their most notable leading characters, Jane Eyre and Candide, represent direct expressions of the respective authors emotions andRead MoreSocial Issues of Poverty and Class Distinction during the Enlightenment Period2339 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿Social Issues of Poverty and Class Distinction during the Enlightenment Time Period Introduction Candide takes the form of a classic journey story and Candide must endure a series of misfortunes and trials before he can be reunited with his beloved and regain a qualified kind of redemption. It is in the misfortunes that Candide and others suffer in the novel that Voltaire cuts through the pretensions and hypocrisies of the Age of Reason (Cohen). The philosopher Pangloss, Candides tutor, insistsRead MoreThe Life And Death Of Satire2426 Words   |  10 Pagesthe underworld to get the famous playwright Euripides back from the dead. With growth comes broadening and change, with works such as A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift, or Candide by Voltaire. A Modest Proposal is an essay that creates a horrifying and inhumane way to deal with poverty, which was rampant at the time. Candide is Voltaire’s satirical adventure novel that has the incompetent titular character travel the globe to regain his beautiful love. Satire then expands and incorporates more modernRead MoreMWDS Ca ndide4817 Words   |  20 Pages Major Work Data Sheet: Candide Title: Candide Author: Voltaire Date of Publication: 1759 Genre: Satire, ‘Conte Philosophique’ (Philosophical Fiction) Biographical information about the author: Francois-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, was born in 1694 in Paris, France. Though his father wanted him to become a lawyer, Voltaire long held a great passion for writing, and rather than going to law school, spent his time extensively composing poetry, essays, and historical studies. 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The problem of evil in contemporary philosophy is generally regarded as an argument for atheism. The atheist contends that God and evil are incompatible, and given th at evil clearly existsRead MoreEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 PagesAP ENGLISH LIT AND COMP FREE RESPONSE QUESTIONS 2004 (Form A): Critic Roland Barthes has said, â€Å"Literature is the question minus the answer.† Choose a novel or play and, considering Barthes’ Observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers any answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. You may select a work from the list below or another

Marketing Management Contemporary Business Environment

Question: Discuss about theMarketing Management for Contemporary Business Environment. Answer: Introduction Marketing becomes a key function in the contemporary business environment as it allows firms to create good relations with the customers and to develop competitive advantage. Marketing functions provides a systematic framework to the firms for introducing and promoting their product or services. It plays critical role in establishing communication between customers and firms that increase market presence and consequently sales (Kumar et al., 2011). In this report, the importance of marketing process in creating competitive advantage for the real world organizations will be analyzed. The way organizations have used marketing function to gain competitive advantage will also be discussed in this report. Targeting, segmentation, market intelligence, marketing mix some core concepts of marketing are also applied to analyze the marketing strategies of firm. Burberry, UK based global luxury brand and Coca-Cola, US based global beverage firm are selected as case organizations. This report wi ll analyze marketing strategies of these companies. Coca-Cola Marketing Coca-Cola is one of the valuable brands in the world. Segmentation includes in marketing process of Coca-Cola. This firm segments market mainly on the basis of demographical variables including age, family and income. For example: In advertisements, it mainly addressees young customer base. Similarly, it also offers product in different flavors and packaging to make it fit for the consumers with different affordability level. Segmentation helps Coca-Cola to differentiate its offerings from the competitors and to attract large consumer base, which provides competitive advantage. Through segmentation, it satisfies needs of different niche markets (Anders, 2011). Target market of Coca-Cola is quite wide that allows it to capture significant beverage market and to achieve competitive advantage. Benefits and uses are communicated by Coca-Cola to position among customers thoughts. For example: bold taste and zero calories are used to position Coca-Cola Zero to communicate with the dieters (McDaniel et al., 2016). Marketing mix includes in the marketing process that allows this firm to combine price, place, product and promotion elements effectively for satisfying and communicating needs of target market and to develop unique image (Lee and Carter, 2012). Burberry Marketing Burberry becomes a recognizable brand in the global fashion industry due to its innovative marketing practices. Segmentation, targeting, positioning and marketing mix are the major elements of marketing process at Burberry (Donnellan, 2013). Demographic and behavioral segmentation is used by this firm to target stylish and wealthy young men and women, who have sense of fashion. By determining and analyzing needs of target market, it develops a marketing mix to communicate with customers (Lorange and Rembiszewski, 2016). Marketing mix of this firm develop a unique image and to position it as iconic and innovative brand in global fashion industry. For example: digital media is used by Burberry in innovative manner that creates image of digital fashion brand. This allows firms to differentiae offering from the competitors, which provides source of competitive advantage (Phan et al., 2011). It combines traditional British fashion with the digital network that helps to become highly admir ed brand. Marketing Success Evidence Coca-Cola is the market leader in the global non-alcoholic beverage industry by capturing approximately 42% market share (NASDAQ, 2014). It makes this firm worlds largest non-alcoholic beverage company. It is operating from over 125 years. The marketing practices and strategies of this firm allow it to make effective presence in more than 200 countries (Coca-Cola, 2016). This firm has won several awards for marketing and advertising campaigns worldwide. Share a Coke, Open happiness and Can Change the world are some successful market campaign of Coca-Cola (Hepburn, 2016). The value of Coca-Cola brand is $73,102m and it becomes worlds third valuable global brand (Interbrand, 2016). Due to successful marketing, Pepsi holds second position in the market, despite of calming better product from Coca-Cola (Lee et al., 2015). The sales of this firm are also consistent in last five years. It depicts success of marketing practices in terms of increasing and maintaining consumer base. This firm offers more than 500 brands worldwide through the worlds largest distribution network. It develops an effective market presence (The Coca-Cola Company, 2016). It delivers consistent marketing massage to the customers by focusing on values of sharing happiness, joy and positivity. This creates unique image and reputation that develops strong relationship with the customers (Lee et al., 2015). Due to marketing practices, it successfully attracts and maintains large consumer base in global beverage industry. The Burberry brand is valued at $5,873m in 2015. In this year, the brand value of this firm grew by 5% (Interbrand, 2016). The marketing practices of this firm create an image of innovative fashion brand with unique design and craftsmanship. It has used social media and other tools of digital marketing to connect with the target customers. This firm mainly targets young males and females and due to this it uses social media to maintain relations with the customers. The sales of this firm in 2015 grew by 9% that indicates success of marketing practices in terms of maintaining and enhancing consumer base (Annual Report, 2016). This brand has strong presence in social media. For example: it has around more than 3m twitter followers, which is quite high from the number of Coca-Cola followers (Roland, 2014). It has 40m followers in social media and this marketing practice provides competitive advantages to this firm in terms of increasing awareness and engagement of customers (Milnes, 201 6). This firm maintains consistency in marketing communication through logos, signature product heritage and craftsmanship. This helps to develop relationship and increase customer loyalty, which provides competitive advantage (Clark, 2014). Analysis and Explanation Coca-Cola has executed an effective market strategy by exploiting different customer segments overtime. Initially, it offers one beverage for the entire soft drink consumers. Through market segmentation strategy, it has determined diverse consumer preferences and offered more than a dozen products. This has played critical role in developing products as per the changing needs of the different market segments. Currently, it addresses different customers needs for flavors, calorie and caffeine. The market segmentation strategy has helped this firm to understand changing customers needs and to make informed changes in offerings (Lamb, 2012). By offerings wide product range, it has developed and maintained dominate position in the global soft drink industry. Similarly, segmentation strategy of this firm has helped to consider geographical differences of customers and to invent products as per their needs that vary on the basis of culture, climate and income. For example: package size and level of sweetness in Coca-Cola product range varies in accordance to the local taste (Sun, 2009). Market segmentation strategy is executed by Coca-Cola effectively to determine the needs and preference of customers for the soft drinks and to develop product offerings accordingly (Lamb et al., 2011). By applying Ansoff matrix successfully, it has executed market strategy successfully. It has employed market penetration, product development, market development strategy and diversification strategies. By offering soft drinks in different flavors, it has penetrated US market and expanded in the different markets of the world (Hill and Jones, 2011). It has also used diversification strategy by offering health drinks to the customers. The marketing function of Burberry provides competitive advantage in terms of creating unique image that develops strong relationship between target customers and offerings. Burberry has executed market strategy by applying porters generic strategy successfully. This model indicates three strategies to outperform in an industry such as cost leadership, differentiation and focus. The market strategy of the firm has successfully applied focus differentiation strategy by using digital media in highly innovative manner (Henry, 2011). In this strategy, it employs target market strategy by selecting a niche segment of millennial that forms 60 percent of world population. It has offered stylish collections as per the needs and preference of millennial, while developing heritage of firm. In order to reach and engage customers, social media strategy has executed by Burberry in an effective manner. It determined tech-savvy attitudes of the target market and thus extensively used social media. Through social media, it has established effective communication between target market and offerings. It became the first firm in the fashion industry to use social media for communicating with the customers (Pride et al., 2014). This has helped Burberry to create value as digitalized fashion brand and to create distinct image. Conclusion It can be concluded from the above discussion that Coca-Cola and Burberry has created competitive advantage by creating unique image among the customers. Marketing strategies and processes of these firms have helped them to communicate with the customers effectively and to engage them. Market segmentation and Ansoff matrix have effectively applied by Coco-Cola to understand needs and preferences of customer and to tailor offerings accordingly. Burberry has employed focus differentiation strategy successfully to target needs of niche segment of the luxury fashion market. Through this, it has created an image as most digitalized brand and attracted target customers. The marketing activities of these firms have helped to differentiate their offerings from the competitors, which caused the development of competitive advantage. References Anders, J. (2011) Coca-Colas Marketing Strategy: An Analysis of Price, Product and Communication. Germany: GRIN. Annual Report (2016) Burberry. [Online]. Available at: https://www.burberryplc.com/documents/ar-15-16/burberry_annual_report_2015-16.pdf (Accessed: 1st December, 2016). Clark, J. (2014) Fashion Merchandising: Principles and Practice. USA: Palgrave Macmillan. Donnellan, J. (2013) Merchandise buying and management. AC Black. Hepburn, M. (2016) The Share a Coke story. [Online]. Available at: https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/stories/share-a-coke (Accessed: 1st December, 2016). Hill, C.W. and Jones, G.R. (2011) Essentials of strategic management. USA: Cengage Learning. Interbrand (2016) Coca-Cola. [Online]. Available at: https://interbrand.com/best-brands/best-global-brands/2016/ranking/cocacola/ (Accessed: 1st December, 2016). Interbrand (2016) Ranking. [Online]. Available at: https://interbrand.com/best-brands/best-global-brands/2015/ranking/ (Accessed: 1st December, 2016). Kumar, V., Jones, E., Venkatesan, R. and Leone, R.P. (2011) Is market orientation a source of sustainable competitive advantage or simply the cost of competing?. Journal of marketing, 75(1), pp.16-30. Lamb, C.W. (2012) Marketing. USA: Cengage Learning. Lamb, C.W., Hair, J.F. and McDaniel, C. (2011) Essentials of marketing. Cengage Learning. Lee, A., Yao, J., Mizerski, R. and Lambert, C. (2015) The strategy of global branding and brand equity. UK: Routledge. Lee, K. and Carter, S. (2012) Global marketing management. UK: Oxford University Press. Lorange, P. and Rembiszewski, J. (2016) From Great to Gone: Why FMCG Companies are Losing the Race for Customers. UK: Routledge. McDaniel, C., Lamb, C.W. and Hair, J.F. (2016) Marketing essentials. Australia: South-Western. Milnes, H. (2016) Burberry wants to monetize its 40 million social followers. [Online]. Available at: https://digiday.com/brands/burberry-wants-monetize-40m-social-followers/ (Accessed: 1st December, 2016). Morning Star (2016) Coca-Cola Co KO. [Online]. Available at: https://financials.morningstar.com/income-statement/is.html?t=KO (Accessed: 1st December, 2016). NASDAQ (2016) Coke Vs. Pepsi: By The Numbers. [Online]. Available at: https://www.nasdaq.com/article/coke-vs-pepsi-by-the-numbers-cm337909 (Accessed: 1st December, 2016). Phan, M., Thomas, R. and Heine, K. (2011) Social media and luxury brand management: The case of Burberry. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 2(4), pp.213-222. Pride, W.M., Hughes, R.J. and Kapoor, J.R. (2014) Foundations of business. Cengage Learning. Roland, D. (2014) Burberry has more Twitter followers than Coca-Cola. [Online]. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/11112035/Burberry-has-more-Twitter-followers-than-Coca-Cola.html (Accessed: 1st December, 2016). Sun, S. (2009) An analysis on the conditions and methods of market segmentation. International journal of business and management, 4(2), p.63. The Coca-Cola Company (2016) The Coca-Cola Company to Present at Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference. [Online]. Available at: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/press-center/press-releases/the-coca-cola-company-to-present-at-consumer-analyst-group-of-new-york-conference-2016 (Accessed: 1st December, 2016). The Coca-Cola Company (2016)Who We Are. [Online]. Available at: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/press-center/press-releases/the-coca-cola-company-to-present-at-consumer-analyst-group-of-new-york-conference-2016 (Accessed: 1st December, 2016). The Coca-Cola Compnay Henry, A. (2011) Understanding Strategic Management. USA: OUP Oxford.

Multiverse Essay Example

Multiverse Paper Multiverse From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Multiverse (disambiguation). Physical cosmology Universe  · Big Bang Age of the universe Timeline of the Big Bang Ultimate fate of the universe [show]Early universe [show]Expanding universe [show]Structure Formation [show]Components [show]Timeline [show]Experiments [show]Scientists v †¢ d †¢ e The multiverse (or meta-universe, metaverse) is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes (including the historical universe we consistently experience) that together comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, and energy as well as the physical laws and constants that describe them. The term was coined in 1895 by the American philosopher and psychologist William James. [1] The various universes within the multiverse are sometimes called parallel universes. The structure of the multiverse, the nature of each universe within it and the relationship between the various constituent universes, depend on the specific multiverse hypothesis considered. Multiverses have been hypothesized in cosmology, physics, astronomy, religion, philosophy, transpersonal psychology and fiction, particularly in science fiction and fantasy. In these contexts, parallel universes are also called alternative universes, quantum universes, interpenetrating dimensions, parallel dimensions, parallel worlds, alternative realities, and alternative timelines, among others. We will write a custom essay sample on Multiverse specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Multiverse specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Multiverse specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Contents [hide] 1 Multiverse hypotheses in physics 1. 1 Tegmarks classification 1. 1. 1 Level I: Beyond our cosmological horizon 1. 1. 2 Level II: Universes with different physical constants 1. 1. 3 Level III: Many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics 1. 1. 4 Level IV: Ultimate Ensemble 1. 2 Cyclic theories 1. 3 M-theory 1. 4 Anthropic principle 1. 5 WMAP cold spot 1. 6 Criticisms 1. 6. 1 Non-scientific claims 1. 6. 2 Indirect Evidence 1. 6. 3 Occams Razor 2 Multiverse hypotheses in philosophy and logic 2. Modal realism 2. 2 Trans-world identity 2. 3 Fictional realism 3 Multiverse hypotheses in religion and spirituality 3. 1 Hinduism 3. 2 Islam 3. 3 Planes of existence 3. 4 Afterlife 3. 5 Eschatology 4 In popular culture 4. 1 Literature 4. 2 Film 4. 3 Television 4. 4 Other fictional uses 5 See also 6 References 6. 1 Notes 6. 2 Bibliography 7 External links [edit]Multiverse hypotheses in physics [edit]Tegmarks classification Cosmologist Max Tegmark has provided a taxonomy of uni verses beyond the familiar observable universe. The levels according to Tegmarks classification are arranged such that subsequent levels can be understood to encompass and expand upon previous levels, and they are briefly described below. [2][3] [edit]Level I: Beyond our cosmological horizon A generic prediction of chaotic inflation is an infinite ergodic universe, which, being infinite, must contain Hubble volumes realizing all initial conditions. Accordingly, an infinite universe will contain an infinite number of Hubble volumes, all having the same physical laws and physical constants. In regard to configurations such as the distribution of matter, almost all will differ from our Hubble volume. However, because there are infinitely many, far beyond the cosmological horizon, there will eventually be Hubble volumes with similar, and even identical, configurations. Tegmark estimates that an identical volume to ours should be about 1010115 meters away from us (a number larger than a googolplex). [4][5] [edit]Level II: Universes with different physical constants Bubble universes, every disk is a bubble universe (Universe 1 to Universe 6 are different bubbles, they have physical constants that are different from our universe), our universe is just one of the bubbles. In the chaotic inflation theory, a variant of the cosmic inflation theory, the multiverse as a whole is stretching and will continue doing so forever, but some regions of space stop stretching and form distinct bubbles, like gas pockets in a loaf of rising bread. Such bubbles are embryonic level I multiverse s. Linde and Vanchurin calculated the number of these universes to be on the scale of 1010107. [6] Different bubbles may experience different spontaneous symmetry breaking resulting in different properties such as different physical constants. [4] This level also includes John Archibald Wheelers oscillatory universe theory and Lee Smolins fecund universes theory. [edit]Level III: Many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics Hugh Everetts many-worlds interpretation (MWI) is one of several mainstream interpretations of quantum mechanics. In brief, one aspect of quantum echanics is that certain observations cannot be predicted absolutely. Instead, there is a range of possible observations each with a different probability. According to the MWI, each of these possible observations corresponds to a different universe. Suppose a die is thrown that contains 6 sides and that the result corresponds to a quantum mechanics observable. All 6 possible ways the die can fall correspond to 6 different universes. (More correctly, in MWI there is only a single universe but after the split into many worlds these cannot in general interact. [7] Tegmark argues that a level III multiverse does not contain more possibilities in the Hubble volume than a level I-II multiverse. In effect, all the different worlds created by splits in a level III multiverse with the same physical constants can be found in some Hubble volume in a level I multiverse. Tegmark writes that The only difference between Level I and Level III is where your doppelgangers reside. In Level I they live elsewhere in good old three-dimensional space. In Level III they live on another quantum branch in infinite-dimensional Hilbert space. Similarly, all level II bubble universes with different physical constants can in effect be found as worlds created by splits at the moment of spontaneous symmetry breaking in a level III multiverse. [4] Related to the many-worl ds idea are Richard Feynmans multiple histories interpretation and H. Dieter Zehs many-minds interpretation. [edit]Level IV: Ultimate Ensemble The Ultimate Ensemble hypothesis of Tegmark himself. This level considers equally real all universes that can be defined by mathematical structures. This also includes those having physical laws different from our observable universe. Tegmark writes that abstract mathematics is so general that any Theory Of Everything (TOE) that is definable in purely formal terms (independent of vague human terminology) is also a mathematical structure. For instance, a TOE involving a set of different types of entities (denoted by words, say) and relations between them (denoted by additional words) is nothing but what mathematicians call a set-theoretical model, and one can generally find a formal system that it is a model of. He argues this implies that any conceivable parallel universe theory can be described at Level IV and subsumes all other ensembles, therefore brings losure to the hierarchy of multiverses, and there cannot be say a Level V. [8] Jurgen Schmidhuber, however, says the set of mathematical structures is not even well-defined, and admits only universe representations describable by constructive mathematics, that is, computer programs. He explicitly includes universe representations describable by non-halting pro grams whose output bits converge after finite time, although the convergence time itself may not be predictable by a halting program, due to Kurt Godels limitations. 9][10][11] He also explicitly discusses the more restricted ensemble of quickly computable universes. Cyclic theories Main articles: Cyclic model and Oscillatory universe In several theories there is a series of infinite, self-sustaining cycles (for example: an eternity of Big Bang-Big crunches). [edit]M-theory See also: Brane cosmology and String theory landscape A multiverse of a somewhat different kind has been envisaged within the multi-dimensional extension of string theory known as M-theory, also known as Membrane Theory. 13] In M-theory our universe and others are created by collisions between p-branes in a space with 11 and 26 dimensions (the number of dimensions depends on the chirality of the observer);[14][15] each universe takes the form of a D-brane. [14][15] Objects in each universe are essentially confined to the D-brane of their universe, but may be able to interact with other universes via gravity, a force which is not restricted to D-branes. [16] This is unlike the universes in the quantum multiverse, but both concepts can operate at the same time. [edit]Anthropic p rinciple Main article: Anthropic principle The concept of other universes has been proposed to explain why our universe seems to be fine-tuned for conscious life as we experience it. If there were a large number (possibly infinite) of different physical laws (or fundamental constants) in as many universes, some of these would have laws that were suitable for stars, planets and life to exist. The weak anthropic principle could then be applied to conclude that we would only consciously exist in those universes which were finely-tuned for our conscious existence. Thus, while the probability might be extremely small that there is life in most of the universes, this scarcity of life-supporting universes does not imply intelligent design as the only explanation of our existence. [edit]WMAP cold spot Laura Mersini-Houghton claims that the WMAP cold spot may provide testable empirical evidence for a parallel universe within the multiverse. [edit]Criticisms [edit]Non-scientific claims Critics claim that many of these theories lack empirical testability, and without hard physical evidence are unfalsifiable; outside the methodology of scientific investigation to confirm or disprove. Reasons why such claims lack empirical evidence or testability according to most Multiverse theories is that other universes are in a different spacetime framework, so in principle they cannot be observed. [edit]Indirect Evidence The logical foundation of modern science is hypothetico-deductive logic which permits a theory to propose unobvservable entities if these help explain observable outcomes, either by theory based predictions (of future observations) or retroductionism (of already known observations). [17] [edit]Occams Razor See also: Kolmogorov complexity Critics argue that to postulate a practically infinite number of unobservable universes just to explain our own seems contrary to Occams razor. [18][19] Tegmark answers: A skeptic worries about all the information necessary to specify all those unseen worlds. But an entire ensemble is often much simpler than one of its members. This principle can be stated more formally using the notion of algorithmic information content. The algorithmic information content in a number is, roughly speaking, the length of the shortest computer program that will produce that number as output. For example, consider the set of all integers. Which is simpler, the whole set or just one number? Naively, you might think that a single number is simpler, but the entire set can be generated by quite a trivial computer program, whereas a single number can be hugely long. Therefore, the whole set is actually simpler. Similarly, the set of all solutions to Einsteins field equations is simpler than a specific solution. The former is described by a few equations, whereas the latter requires the specification of vast amounts of initial data on some hypersurface. The lesson is that complexity increases when we restrict our attention to one particular element in an ensemble, thereby losing the symmetry and simplicity that were inherent in the totality of all the elements taken together. In this sense, the higher-level multiverses are simpler. Going from our universe to the Level I multiverse eliminates the need to specify initial conditions, upgrading to Level II eliminates the need to specify physical constants, and the Level IV multiverse eliminates the need to specify anything at all. He continues A common feature of all four multiverse levels is that the simplest and arguably most elegant theory involves parallel universes by default. To deny the existence of those universes, one needs to complicate the theory by adding experimentally unsupported processes and ad hoc postulates: finite space, wave function collapse and ontological asymmetry. Our judgment therefore comes down to which we find more wasteful and inelegant: many worlds or man y words. Perhaps we will gradually get used to the weird ways of our cosmos and find its strangeness to be part of its charm. Multiverse hypotheses in philosophy and logic edit]Modal realism Possible worlds are a way of explaining probability, hypothetical statements and the like, and some philosophers such as David Lewis believe that all possible worlds exist, and are just as real as the actual world (a position known as modal realism). [20] [edit]Trans-world identity A metaphysical issue that crops up in multiverse schema that posit infinite identical copies of any given universe is that of the notion that there can be identical objects in different possible worlds. According to the counterpart theory of David Lewis, the objects should be regarded as similar rather than identical. 21][22] [edit]Fictional realism The view that because fictions exist, fictional characters exist as well. There are fictional entities, in the same sense as that in which, setting aside philosophical disputes, there are people, Mondays, numbers and planets. [23][24] [edit]Multiverse hypotheses in religion and spirituality Main a rticle: Multiverse (religion) [edit]Hinduism Main article: Hindu cosmology The concept of multiple universes is mentioned many times in Hindu Puranic literature, such as in the Bhagavata Purana: Because You are unlimited, neither the lords of heaven nor even You Yourself can ever reach the end of Your glories. The countless universes, each enveloped in its shell, are compelled by the wheel of time to wander within You, like particles of dust blowing about in the sky. The srutis, following their method of eliminating everything separate from the Supreme, become successful by revealing You as their final conclusion (Bhagavata Purana 10. 87. 41) [edit]Islam Main article: Islamic cosmology There are exactly seven verses in the Quran that specify that there are seven heavens. One verse says that each heaven or sky has its own order, possibly meaning laws of nature. Another verse says after mentioning the seven heavens and similar earths. So [Allah] decreed them as seven heavens (one above the other) in two days and revealed to each heaven its orders. And We [Allah] adorned the lowest heaven with lights, and protection. Such is the decree of the Exalted; the Knowledgeable. [Quran 41. 12] Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149–1209), in dealing with his conception of physics and the physical world in his Matalib, explores the notion of the existence of a multiverse in the context of his commentary on the Quranic verse, All praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds. He raises the question of whether the term worlds in this verse refers to multiple worlds within this single universe or cosmos, or to many other universes or a multiverse beyond this known universe. Al-Razi disagreed with the Aristotelian and Avicennian view of the impossibility of multiple universes. This disagreement arose from his affirmation of atomism, as advocated by the Ashari scho ol of Islamic theology, which entails the existence of vacant space in which the atoms move, combine and separate. 25] He argued that God has the power to fill the vacuum with an infinite number of universes. [26] [edit]Planes of existence Main article: Plane (esotericism) Certain religions and esoteric cosmologies propound the idea of a whole series of subtle emanated planes or worlds. [edit]Afterlife Many religions include an afterlife existence in realms, such as heavens and hells, which may be very different from the observable universe. [edit]Eschatology See also: End time Eschatological scenarios may include a new different world after the end time of the current one. For example, Hindu cosmology includes the idea of an infinite cycle of births and deaths and an infinite number of universes with each cycle lasting 8. 4 billion years. [27] Similar eschatological scenarios appear in other religions, in the form of belief in there being a new and different world after the end time of the current one. [edit]In popular culture This In popular culture section may contain minor or trivial references. Please reorganize this content to explain the subjects impact on popular culture rather than simply listing appearances, and remove trivial references. May 2010) See also: Parallel universe (fiction) and Fictional universe [edit]Literature The term Multiverse was notably used in 1962 by science fiction author Michael Moorcock, though not for the first time in literature, having previously been used by both William James in 1895 and John Cowper Powys in his 1955 novel The Brazen Head (p. 279). The author and editor Paul le Page Barnett, best known by the pseu donym John Grant, later used the term polycosmos for a similar concept binding together a number of his works. He formed the word from Greek morphemes where multiverse uses Latin. [28] Philip K. Dicks The Man in the High Castle Takes place in a parallel universe where the allies lost WWII. The novel follows several characters, one of whom travels to what is implied as an alternate universe for a short time. (our own) In the World of Tiers novels (1965) by Philip Jose Farmer, the background of the stories are set in a multiverse where godlike beings are able to create a number of pocket universes at their whim. Our own universe is part of this series, but interestingly its boundary appears to end at the edge of the solar system. In a 1971 short story All the Myriad Ways, author Larry Niven explores the psychological implications of Multiverse theory. The story somewhat erroneously postulates that since a split in the Multiverse is created at each decision point, the number of suicides would rise dramatically as people consider how the possibility of ending their lives would impact the many versions of the universe. The idea is that simply considering the act causes all possible outcomes to occur in somewhat equal proportion. While the story is highly entertaining, this notion is pure fiction, and is not supported by any significant theory of muitiple universes. The way in which Robert A. Heinlein used interlocking characters and settings in his novels have led to his worlds being described as a multiverse. [29] In C. S. Lewiss series The Chronicles of Narnia, multiple universes exist within a monotheistic, rather than a naturalistic framework. At the will of Aslan (who corresponds to the Christian God), the main characters enter different universes through various means, including a forest containing pools of water. A leap into any pool will take one into a universe with natural laws and even a structure differing from our own. (In Narnia, for instance, the world is not spherical, but flat, and the brave mouse Reepicheep travels to the end of it in order to enter Aslans Country. In Philip Pullmans trilogy His Dark Materials the lead characters enter parallel universes by using a knife to cut into the fabric of reality. The novel Timeline by Michael Crichton uses the multiverse theory as a mechanism for travel back to medieval times to research the Hundred Years War. A 2000 Dean Koontz Novel, From the Corner of His Eye, is based entirely around the belief in multiple realities. At least four characters in the book have special abilities based around the use of multiple realities. Stephen Kings Dark Tower series presupposes the idea of a multiverse, an infinity of infinities, all meeting at a central nexus point in space and time, the Dark Tower itself. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy features the Whole Sort of General Mish-Mash, in which every possible universe is located at some point along the probability axis. The 2004 Andrew Crumey novel Mobius Dick uses Everetts Many Worlds theory as support for a plot involving both multiple histories (Britain as Fascist or Communist state) and multiple literatures (alternative versions of works by Thomas Mann). Crumey has done academic research on Walter Benjamin and the multiverse of Louis Auguste Blanqui. In the fictional series of Robert Jordans World of the Wheel of time, the main character Rand Al Thor at one time uses his One power to channel power through a Portal stone which causes him and his troupe to experience lives in various probability universes, which however always end with his death (he is a pivotal character in the series on account of the dark one). Both DC Comics and Marvel Comics have made extensive use of the multiverse concept, with DC adopting the notion (later adapted by Marvel) of numbering the many different versions of Earth presented, which culminated in the Crisis on Infinite Earths story arc of the 1980s, and its later sequels Infinite Crisis, 52 and Final Crisis. An example of Marvel using the multiverse concept is the Marvel Zombies series and the Ultimate line of comics which take place in an alternate universe. In the manga Katekyo Hitman Reborn! , the main antagonist of the future arc, Byakuran, is capable of moving between parallel universes, and he also manages to bring himself from one universe to another. [edit]Film In the 2001 Jet Li film, The One, Jet Lis character travels to several different universes to carry out his deadly deeds. Although not explicitly described as such in the film, the alternate reality experienced by the George Bailey and Clarence characters in the 1946 film Its a Wonderful Life may be interpreted as a parallel universe. The 2009 film Star Trek features the characters of Spock and Nero traveling backwards in time by means of a black hole, drastically altering the timeline. Though this is not a true alternate universe, it presents an altered history within our original universe. [edit]Television In the 2010 season of Lost a new flash sideways storyline seemed to show a parallel universe where the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 land safely in Los Angeles and the island they originally crashed on is now underwater. The idea that it was a parallel universe arose from events in the previous season involving several main characters on the island that had traveled back in time to the year 1977. In the episodes leading up to the end of the 2009 season it was implied that detonating a hydrogen bomb within a pocket of electromagnetic energy could reset time and make it so Oceanic Flight 815 never crashed, which leads to the characters who are stuck in 1977 detonating the bomb in the final moments of the season finale. When the 2010 season opened with what appeared to be two different timelines, one where the plane never crashed and one where the characters that detonated the bomb are back to their original time yet still stuck on the island, it seemed to imply to the viewers that the bomb had created a parallel universe instead of just resetting the one they were in like they had thought it would. However, in the 2010 series finale, it is revealed that the bomb did not reset time or create a parallel universe. Instead the flash sideways world is actually a super flash forward set after all the events on the island that shows a spiritual gateway to the afterlife, created by the characters to find one another after they die and to allow themselves to let go of their physical lives before moving on, rather than an actual parallel universe in the physical sense. During the Android Arc in Dragon Ball Z, the shows main character, Son Goku dies from an incurable heart virus roughly two and a half years after killing Frieza and his father King Cold. Six months later, a pair of androids appear and kill all of the Z fighters (except for Son Gohan and infant Trunks). As a result of this divergent timeline, several key characters are not born. These characters are: Goten, Pan, Bra, Marron and Uub. Trunks, now nearly an adult, travels 20 years into the past where/when the main timeline viewers are familiar with exists. In the network movie Turtles Forever, the 2003 turtles meet their 1980s conterparts, claiming that they came from an alternate universe. It is later revealed that there is a multiverse of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The television show Sliders was based entirely on the possibility of parallel universes. In each episode the stars experienced an alternate universe through the use of a device that would create a portal through which to travel to those alternate realities. In the season 8 premiere of Family Guy, Stewie and Brian use an enhanced device to travel to different universes. They temporarily stay in a world that has not been influenced by Christianity, therefore the world being technologically head 1000 years, and a world where dogs are the dominant species before returning to their world. The Fox show Fringe explores an alternate universe as part of its series-wide plot. The show also touches on crossing over to the other side, the advancement of science and technology bringing two worlds together, as well as the possibility of two worlds colliding and bringing one of them to an end. Several storylines in the Star Trek and Doctor Who franchises have involved multiverses. Examples include: Mirror, Mirror (and sequels) in Star Trek: The Original Series; Parallels in Star Trek: The Next Generation; and Inferno, Rise of the Cybermen and Turn Left in Doctor Who. Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe also have episodes where people travel to different parallel universes and alternate timelines. Episodes include There but for the Grace of God, 2010, 2001, Moebius parts 1 and 2, Before I Sleep, Mackay and Mrs. Miller, The Last Man, Vegas and Time.