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Synopsis

We once had to abandon the idea of earth being at the centre of the universe. Now, we need to confront an even more profound possibility: the universe itself might just be one universe among many. In Search of the Multiverse takes us on an extraordinary journey, examining the most fundamental questions in science. What are the boundaries of our universe? Can there be different physical laws from the ones we know? Are there in fact other universes? Do we really live in a multiverse?

This book is a search - the ultimate search - exploring the frontiers of reality. Ideas that were once science fiction have now come to dominate modern physics. And, as John Gribbin shows, there is increasing evidence that there really is more to the universe than we can see. Gribbin guides us through the different competing theories (there is more than one multiverse!) revealing what they have in common and what we can come to expect. He gives a brilliant tour of the current state of cosmology.

John Gribbin is our best, most accessible guide to the big questions of science. And there is no bigger question than our search for the multiverse.

Reviews

Interview

What motivated you to write In Search of the Multiverse?
I feel that now is a good time for an exciting but balanced treatment of the multiverse hypothesis. I have a lifelong interest in parallel worlds, but especially the latest ideas about the ‘landscape’ of string theory. In recent years, scientists working in disciplines as diverse as computer systems and cosmology have been investigating such concepts from different directions, and finding that they may have practical implications, as well as possibly explaining the origin and nature of the universe.  My speciality is to take a newly mature, complex area of science where there are many different points of view and provide an over-arching account of the whole field in a form accessible for the non-scientist. The new book is bound to appeal to fans of science fiction and those with a more dilettante interest in science, as well as the more dedicated science buffs.

What kind of experience do you want your reader to have?
Stimulation, surprise, entertainment.  Not necessarily in that order.

During the process of writing, what surprises did you discover?
There is a growing body of evidence, increasingly difficult to ignore, that there really is more to the world than the universe we can directly see. The universe was indeed set up to provide a home for life, but once it got started life evolved through a process of natural selection with no need for outside interference.  It isn’t so much that Man was created in God’s image, but that the universe was created in the image, more or less, of the universe of the designers.

Who has influenced your work and inspired you?
Buddy Holly has been my inspiration since I was 12.  He proved geeky guys with glasses can be a success.  I realised a life's ambition by writing a biography of him this year, and play his music while I am working.

Are there any other particular books or authors that have had a significant influence on you as a writer?
I started reading Isaac Asimov's fact and fiction when I was eight years old. This as much as anything encouraged me to become a scientist and writer, and eventually to try my hand at fiction myself. The culmination of this is my novel TIMESWITCH, using the Multiverse idea, which is published in September this year.

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