Mirror Universe - Why I Don't Believe

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I know we hear the term mirror universe or alternate dimension a lot (well, if you're in to scifi you do) In TOS we had all the same characters serving on the same ship just an alternate reality type of world. Those that watched Sliders may remember there were hundreds of alternate worlds - there was always an alternate you even though history had been different.

 

I think there is a glaring lapse of logic in these scenarios. Meaning that for you to be the same person you have to have the same genetic history from day one. All it took was one change - one ancestor dying before reproducing and everything would change. So we're supposed to believe that in entirely different political and/or technological developments the same people made all the same choices about marriage (or reproducing) but everything else in their life would have been different. That sounds like a stretch to me.

[ensign_beedrill 0]

Perhaps. But there are basically an unlimited number of different possible alternate universes. Certainly there are universes in which said people made different decisions about marriage, and so there are entirely "new" people in this universe and the ones we knew aren't there at all. But given all of the different possibilities, it is very possible that a portion of these universes would be populated by many of the same characters. If we're saying that it's just one change that makes each of these universes different, then a lot of these universes could be basically the same. Like if I decided to eat an ice-pop after dinner instead of a cookie, for instance, that's really not going to change anything in my life.

 

Granted, the alternate universes in Sci-fi most of the time are drastically different. But they still have the same characters. But there is still a good chance that all of the characters would be there, especially given the fact that the audience wouldn't care as much if the characters presented were unknown to them. All the main characters need to do is end up in a universe where all of their ancestors made the same decisions as in their universe. And it's entirely possible, given the number of possibilities.

 

Also, this whole thing stems from the term "Mirror Universe." Well, the definition of a "mirror image" is an image that has its parts arranged with a reversal of right and left, as it would appear if seen in a mirror. It's basically just a flipped image. When you look into a mirror, you see yourself, only flipped. Any words or pictures you have on your shirt are backwards and so-forth. You're the same person, things are just opposite. That's what a mirror universe is. It's a mirror image. All of the people are the same, it's just that everything is opposite. A Federation that used to be peaceful and good is now hostile. Promotions once based on hard work and merit are now based on who you assassinate. The people are the same, but right and left are swapped.