We like to believe we have a pretty good idea of how things work in our universe. However, the truth is that there is still much we don’t know. Physicists have spent decades creating complex theories to help us make sense of the world around us. Yet, the truth may be simultaneously simpler and stranger than we anticipated. Some believe that there is actually a mirror universe that existed before the Big Bang! Stranger yet, they think that it reflects our own – but moves backward in time!
The Mirror Universe
According to Neil Turok, Higgs Chair of Theoretical Physics at the University of Edinburgh, this type of mirror universe would help explain several cosmic questions, including dark matter and the universe’s symmetry. This fascinating hypothesis also challenges various theories such as string theory and cosmic inflation. Turok’s theory states that the universe before the Big Bang might be a mirror image of our own, where time flows backward. Turok stated that he felt we would be able to understand the underlying physics of the universe, in addition to its fundamental structure, if we envisioned the Big Bang as a kind of mirror.
The Restoration of Symmetry
Symmetry is a fundamental principle in physics. The universe’s rules are supposed to follow CPT symmetry, which states that every particle has an oppositely charged anti-particle, space has an inversion, and time is reversible. Yet, the cosmos as we know it defies these rules: time only flows forward, and particles outweigh anti-particles. Turok claims that the mirror universe concept restores balance. He equates it to a reflection in a mirror: although the image itself is not symmetrical, the juxtaposition of you and your reflection produces perfect symmetry.
Moving Backward in Time
When the team modeled the universe’s timeline backward from the Big Bang, they revealed a mirrored counterpart. In this hypothesized pre-Big Bang universe, time reverses in relation to ours, and anti-particles outnumber particles. This duality could potentially offer a new framework for studying the universe’s origins.
A Potential Solution to Dark Matter
Dark matter, the enigmatic component that accounts for 85% of all matter, has long perplexed physicists. However, Turok’s hypothesis provides a potential solution to this issue. He believes that right-handed neutrinos—subatomic particles that may exist in the mirror universe—could potentially help explain dark matter. While only left-handed neutrinos have been detected in our reality, their right-handed counterparts could still be found in this hypothetical mirror universe.
Flat Universe?
The flatness and uniformity of the universe are other cosmological puzzles. Current theories credit this to cosmic inflation, which was a brief phase of rapid expansion following the Big Bang. However, this theory has yet to be supported by data, such as the massive gravitational waves it would have produced. But, the mirror universe hypothesis offers an alternate explanation. Turok claims that statistical factors based on this theory may shed light on the universe’s flatness and uniformity without requiring cosmic inflation.
Simplifying Our View of Cosmology
Turok stresses that regardless of whether the mirror universe idea is ultimately disproven, it raises the possibility of finding simpler answers to the universe’s rather complex questions. Many of today’s mainstream theories, such as the Standard Model, can feel somewhat limiting, and alternative ideas could help open the door for more significant discoveries in the future. However, as compelling as the idea may be, much more research is required to provide it with any real validation. Yet, if proven correct, it could potentially completely revolutionize the field of cosmology.
Beyond the Big Bang
The concept of a mirror universe invites us to reconsider the beginnings of existence and the origins of time itself. Whether the hypothesis is proven correct or not, it encourages us to look beyond present thinking and consider simpler, more elegant explanations of the universe’s greatest puzzles.
Read More: Scientists Are Hunting For A Mirror Universe And Attempting To Open Portals Into It