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The Allure of the Multiverse review: The science behind the sensation

From the ancient Counter-Earth to the modern many-worlds interpretation, physicist Paul Halpern's guide explores the rich science of multiverses. Makers of blockbusters, take note

By Bethan Ackerley

17 January 2024

Multiple exposure image of an illuminated Melbourne skyline, Australia. — Fittingly, science has many ways of thinking about multiverses
EschCollection/Getty Images

Paul Halpern
Basic Books (US, out now; UK, 8 February)

IN THE battle for the public imagination, the multiverse reigns supreme. Fuelled by the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other franchises, the idea that an infinite number of universes might exist alongside ours (and may even be contactable) has never been so popular. Why do we find this concept endlessly fascinating? And how promising is multiverse science?

Paul Halpern, a professor of physics at Saint Joseph’s University, Pennsylvania, tackles these questions in The Allure of…

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