Can Brian Greene's Ultimate Multiverse contain Cthulhu Mythos?

Question

I'm wondering if Greene's Ultimate Multiverse could work like Heinlein's World as Myth concept or Stephen King's Dark Tower. 'Work' in a way that it could contain fictional universes. In this case, Cthulhu Mythos.

I want to know if it could contain Outer Gods, Yog-sothoth, Elder Gods, Azathoth, Ultimate Void and everything within Cthulhu Mythos.

Okay, firstly, short description about Greene's Ultimate Multiverse

The ultimate multiverse contains every mathematically possible universe under different laws of physics.

I'm curious whether scientific cosmology could include bizarre fictional cosmology like Cthulhu Mythos or not.

Answer 1

I think that the answer is both yes and that it is irrelevant.

I don't think that beings that rely on vastly different laws of physics would ever be able to interact.

Now, if you allow for the laws of specific universes to be mutable, it could work out. The Old Gods could be waiting for the physical laws to morph (back?) into laws that support them.

Answer 2

Absolutely, definitely, categorically — perhaps.

The real question is whether every mathematically possible universe including many based on different laws of physics can produce a universe that contains beings and entities even remotely resembling those found in Cthulhu Mythos.

Certainly there are specific aspects of the Mythos which are patently and scientifically absurd. For example, bat-wing alien beings capable of flitting across interstellar space. Now this doesn't prevent the existence of beings capable of self-propelled interstellar motion, but it is highly probable they don't come equipped with bat-wings. This doesn't obviate a version(s) of the Cthulhu Mythos existing according to physical laws in their specific universe.

Just considering one of the possible ramifications of string theory which suggests there 10⁵⁰⁰ possible configurations of physical laws. Yes that is ten raised to the power of 500, and this implies an unimaginably range of physically possible types of universes. Once you consider all the possible arrangements of matter and energy even within each type of universe, then it is possible that just taking into the existence of Cthulhu Mythos like features appearing in any of these universes that it is conceptually possible.

Conceptually possible means precisely that. Namely, that we can conceive of the concept as possible, but have no idea of whether it might exist or not in reality. Besides, with the Cthulhu Mythos like features these could range from one or two that vaguely similar to full scale cosmologies that are absolutely chock-a-block filled with Cthulhu Mythos creatures and civilizations.

The only reasonable answer is, and remains, perhaps. However, anyone engaged in their own worldbuilding project can fudge the possibilities and make it absolutely certain.

Answer 3

No.

“all possible different laws” are still using the same kind of thing as law: very fundimental rules on the most elementary components. I expect that a so-called action formulation must apply, where nature can only distinguish the preferred result when it’s the minima or maxima of a function describing the state.

Magical realms have rules that are more teleological. I’ve written on this idea previously.

If there are different braneworlds, then clearly the physical law in each will be a version of string theory. More generally, you will find that physical law is tied closely to symmetry and the lack of special rules that would single out preferred directions, positions, or whatever.

Meanwhile, you can find Leonard Susskind video lectures where he’s trying to figure out why “freakish” universes are strongly suppressed, because if they existed and vastly outnumbered the neat orderly kind, it is surprising that any living being would look out and observe himself esisting in the latter.

So, expect universes to have a sensible history explaining the present state. So no world where everybody says “Malkovich” in place of meaningful language formulation. No real world that operates like a TV drama.