Week 4 Quiz: The anthropic principle and multiverse

cosmology
The due date for this quiz is Fri 2 Jan 2015 4:00 AM PET.

Welcome to the quiz for week 4, on he anthropic principle and multiverse cosmology. Good luck!

In accordance with the Coursera Honor Code, I (Juan Carlos Vega Oliver) certify that
the answers here are my own work.

Question 1
What is the key idea Brandon Carter was trying to express in his anthropic principle?

That the kind of observers we are will set restrictions on the kind of physical conditions we
observe.

That our observing a life-permitting universe demonstrates that the universe was destined to
contain life.
The tautology that we have evolved where we have evolved.
That the earth is at the centre of the universe.

Question 2
What is the multiverse hypothesis?

The hypothesis that all human beings occupy different universes because of our different
perspectives and presuppositions.

The hypothesis that our universe is so large it can be broken down into regions, which, for all
intents and purposes, can be called universes.

Help

The hypothesis that even so-called impossible universes exist.

The hypothesis that there are other universes.

Question 3
Which of the following is considered to be a good feature of an explanation?
That it makes the phenomena to be explained more in line with common sense.
That it makes the phenomena to be explained more likely.
That it makes the phenomena to be explained less likely.
That it makes the phenomena to be explained more aesthetically pleasing.

Question 4
Why couldnt life, such as that found on earth, exist in a two-dimensional world?

It is highly unlikely for two-dimensional creatures to survive for long, as they would be incredibly
brittle.
It is impossible for life to exist in a two-dimensional world, as it would be crushed flat.

It is impossible for life to exist in a two-dimensional world as lungs require a third dimension in
which to expand and contract.

It is almost impossible to construct a nervous system in a two-dimensional world, as in a twodimensional plane nerves could not run through cells without crossing one another.

Question 5
Which of the following problems motivate the multiverse hypothesis?
Why do we exist now, rather than at some other time in the history of the universe?
Why cant we see dark matter or dark energy?
Why is the density of dark energy in the universe so small?

Why do we exist here, rather than somewhere else in the universe?

Question 6
What is the horizon problem?

Why can we see galaxies at high redshift, since they must be receding faster than the speed of
light?
Why is every point on the sphere of last scattering at such a uniform distance?
Why does the universe appear to have a horizon, when we know it is still expanding?
Why is every point on the sphere of last scattering at such a uniform temperature?

Question 7
Why does the theory of inflation result in a multiverse?

Inflation depends on the effective vacuum density generated by Higgs-like scalar fields, and
many such fields are possible.

The process of a small domain being blown up by a large vacuum energy can happen many
times in different places, resulting in many separate universes with potentially different physical
properties.

As the universe inflates, it sprouts additional bubble universes that eventually float away on
their own

The process of a small domain being blown up by a large vacuum energy repeats itself as the
Higgs field oscillates, generating a new universe in each oscillation.

Question 8
How does the anthropic principle explain the observed density of dark energy?
If dark energy were any denser, then the universe would fragment into massive black holes.

Dark energy tends to have a very high density, but if it were any denser than observed then
galaxies would not be able to form, and so we would not be around to observe it.

The dark energy density must have the observed value, or galaxies would not have been
created when the universe was 13.5 Billion years old.

Observers in other members of the multiverse would see a different ratio between the density of
dark matter and dark energy.

Question 9
How can we test the theory of inflation?
By proving that the expansion of the universe is accelerating today.
By attempting to detect relic gravitational waves from the inflationary period.
By measuring the amplitude of temperature fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background.
By searching for relic supermassive exotic elementary particles from the inflationary period.

Question 10
How might we come to gain empirical evidence for the existence of other universes that we could
never, even in principle, observe?
It is a conceptual truth that everything that can exist does exist.

The philosopher David Lewis has convincingly argued that the best way to understand the
nature of possibility is to postulate the existence of every possible world.

The Copernican Principle tells us that we should assume there is nothing special or unusual
about our position in the universe. This can be generalised to say that there is nothing special
about our universe. Hence other universes must exist.

Theories that entail the existence of other universes make other predictions that are testable. If
these predictions are accurate, we gain evidence for the theorys truth.

In accordance with the Coursera Honor Code, I (Juan Carlos Vega Oliver) certify that
the answers here are my own work.

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