What is the role of a multiverse in cosmology?
The concept of a multiverse, or multiple universes, arises from some of our most successful physical theories, like inflation. If inflation is eternal, it could be constantly spawning new 'bubble' universes, each with potentially different physical laws. While speculative, this idea offers a potential explanation for why our universe's constants seem so fine-tuned for life. It suggests that if there are enough universes, some are bound to be like ours.
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