13th Century Multiverse Theory Unearthed

ananyo writes: "Robert Grosseteste, an English scholar who lived from about 1175 to 1253, was the first thinker in northern Europe to try to develop unified physical laws to explain the origin and form of the geocentric medieval universe of heavens and Earth. Tom McLeish, professor of physics and pro-vice-chancellor for research at Britain's Durham University, and a multinational team of researchers found that Grosseteste's physical laws were so rigorously defined that they could be re-expressed using modern mathematical and computing techniques — as the medieval scholar might have done if he had been able to use such methods. The thinking went that the translated equations could then be solved and the solutions explored. The 'Ordered Universe Project' started six years ago and has now reported some of its findings. Only a small set of Grosseteste's parameters resulted in the "ordered" medieval universe he sought to explain, the researchers found; most resulted either in no spheres being created or a 'disordered' cosmos of numerous spheres. Grosseteste, then, had created a medieval 'multiverse.' De Luce suggests that the scholar realized his theories could result in universes with all manner of spheres, although he did not appear to realize the significance of this. A century later, philosophers Albert of Saxony and Nicole Oresme both considered the idea of multiple worlds and how they might exist simultaneously or in sequence."

Comments

What this means?

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

A: A 14th Century Mystico-Philospher and early Natural Scientist was so insightful that he developed models with an uncanny anticipation of modern, post-special relativity Astrophysics.

B: The limits of modern models and measurements for the physical universe were exhausted - reaching a limit with Einstein and Heisenberg, etc., so that any further extrapolations require fantastical imaginations, worthy of 14th century Alchemysts.

C: Bad cheese.

Grosseteste

[Megahard]

He must have had big balls to propose his theories.

Re:Grosseteste

[50000BTU_barbecue]

It actually refers to his head. Like the one on his shoulders, not the the other kind... French likes to have the letter "s" silent and modifying how other letters are pronounced, mostly the "e". In modern French, the word for head is tête. Most words with ê now used to have es in them. Fête = feste = festival. Arrêt = Arrest, etc.

Re:Grosseteste

[sribe]

Most words with ê now used to have es in them. Fête = feste = festival. Arrêt = Arrest, etc.

Fenestre etc. Most such words came from Latin, FYI.

Last month called

[Anonymous Coward]

It wants its Slashdot summary back.

"Sure, I'll try some..."

[Tablizer]

If you taste enough alchemy experiments, you'll imagine all kinds of whacky stuff.

Message for myself

[ArcadeMan]

Dear ArcadeMan from Universe CK-34B,

please send 5000 Bitcoins to the following address: 1LHuLKyHDndUdjgKUsmfAG8tDnXZ5fTuUA

Re:really, the first?

[turkeydance]

Hindu handles this multiverse-thingie with nothing more than poetry. first?

Sad

[Charliemopps]

I read about this last week... Yes, if you take any significantly crazy dude from 1000 years ago and examine his theories in a modern light, his theories will likely end up baring an uncanny resemblance to the truth.

Not the first

[frovingslosh]

I grew up in a cult of wacko child molesters who tried to teach us about some place outside of this universe where winged creatures lived and where you supposedly were transported to when you died, unless you went to the other dimension where there was a big fire. All sounds so foolish now.

Late to the game

[Rambo Tribble]

If Joseph Campbell is to be trusted, the Upanishads describe a multiverse many centuries before this upstart whelp.