"Parallels" Paradox

[woodstock]

In the episode "Parallels", Worf starts jumping around to different universes after going through some kind of quantum fissure while returning from a Bat'leth tournament. When he first started jumping, the changes were small, and increased more as the episode went on. Some of these universes could only have existed based on event outcomes/decisions made PRIOR to his first entering the fissure, e.g. the more militant Bajorans, Captain Picard killed in the fight with the Borg, etc. However, since he entered the fissure at the particular time he did, it would seem he should only be able to jump to universes created after that moment, not before. Thoughts?

 

[Tosk]

The "other Worfs" may have been forcibly displaced by "Worf Prime" jumping between realities. Like when Sam Beckett leaps into someone, they go elsewhere 'til he leaves.

 

[Marsden]

I want a Quantum Leap reboot staring Michael Dorn, right now.

 

[Timo]

I don't see why his leaping should be limited in any way. He's breaking the barriers between the various parallel channels in which time flows - and when he starts breaking those, there already exists an infinite number of channels. All of the universes he visits were born before the teaser of the episode - all of them were born in the Big Bang already, including the ones where very little is different from the "prime" universe. There is nothing special about a "closely related" universe, as compared to a "totally different" one.

The "other Worfs" may have been forcibly displaced by "Worf Prime" jumping between realities.

The question then becomes, how much of each Worf was displaced? Obviously not the clothes, but all of Worf's living bits? Or just his RNA, with the weird quantum signature? Thankfully, we don't see Worf's body change, with new scars appearing or old limbs disappearing or whatnot. But wouldn't that actually be a bit unexpected, what with a few of the Worfs attending a competition where participants were "maimed", and others not?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[CommanderTrip]

I think the bigger plothole is having just one Worf trying to get back to his universe. Instead, it should have been an infinitesimal amount of parallel universes in which an infinitesimal amount of worfs are searching for the universes of origins. Shouldnt theoretically every Worf (or an infinitesimal amount of Worfs) be trying to get back to their universes? You could easily center a series where each episode is spent on a Worf trying to get back. Like blue-uniform Worf....Ferengi Worf.... Karate-chop action Worf.... the possibilities are.... infinitesimal.

 

[Timo]

Well, we did see at least six other Worfs trying to get home, on that shuttle.

And why did all those ships pop up at those specific spatial coordinates? The one reason for a starship to go there is if there's a Worf aboard telling a fantastic story about a spatial fissure at those coordinates - so probably the couple of thousand ships we did see were there on an errand from their local misplaced Worf, while the infinitely many other Enterprises were elsewhere spatially.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Triskelion]

I think the bigger plothole is having just one Worf trying to get back to his universe. Instead, it should have been an infinitesimal amount of parallel universes in which an infinitesimal amount of worfs are searching for the universes of origins. Shouldnt theoretically every Worf (or an infinitesimal amount of Worfs) be trying to get back to their universes? You could easily center a series where each episode is spent on a Worf trying to get back. Like blue-uniform Worf....Ferengi Worf.... Karate-chop action Worf.... the possibilities are.... infinitesimal.

This is a problem I have with Parallel Universe theory. Why should they all center around this universe's themes? What if our universe was a weird bastardization of the real "prime" universe?

More realistically, I think there could be some kind of countervailing effect whereby the infinite universes cancel each other out. So we don't get all those weird variations, but something more manageable.

 

[Scotchy]

I thought one of the alternate Trois made a comment about there being a good chance her Worf wouldn't return. It seemed to suggest the possibility that at least one of the other Worf's was permanently displaced. Of course, this is coming from Troi....
Maybe in their new Trek series a displaced Worf can unexpectedly stumble out of a broom closet having been flushed out into that universe. Or maybe a Worf or two ended up on the New Jersey turnpike after a trip through John Malkovich's head - who knows??

 

[Doom Shepherd]

infinitesimal.

You use that word a lot. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Although I suppose when you're truly talking about infinities, an infinitesimal (very, very small) amount and an infinite (very, very large) amount can technically be the same thing.

Aaaaand now I've gone crosseyed.

 

[at Quark's]

Instead, it should have been an infinitesimal amount of parallel universes in which an infinitesimal amount of worfs are searching for the universes of origins.

(Disregarding the infinitesimal/infinite usage.) Somehow this reminds me of Hilbert's Hotel Paradox

This is a problem I have with Parallel Universe theory. Why should they all center around this universe's themes? What if our universe was a weird bastardization of the real "prime" universe?

Real prime according to which standard -- or according to whom ? The inhabitants of that universe? Why would theirs be any more prime than ours?

I wouldn't even know btw if theoretical physics would really allow for an infinite number of universes, or just a mind-boggingly huge (but finite -- I've read estimates like 10^(10^(10^7)) )number of them. But that's another discussion -- the Parallel script mentions there's an 'infinite' number of Enterprises so that must be the truth for Worf

Unintentionally funny part I just noticed when rewatching: Worf pointing out to Cardassian War veteran Picard : 'that is a Cardassian ship. Galor class!'

 

[BK613]

All these parallel universes seem to have some kind of locality to them, as if it is easier to cross-over to a similar universe than it is to cross-over to a radically different one.

 

[woodstock]

It turns out there's another thread discussing this episode in general. Overall it's an interesting idea and it's fun to watch, but the science is really shaky and the more you pull at the threads, the more it unravels.

 

[woodstock]

(Disregarding the infinitesimal/infinite usage.) Somehow this reminds me of Hilbert's Hotel Paradox

I started to read the Wikipedia entry on this and fell asleep almost immediately... of course that was probably due to the vodka.

 

[CommanderTrip]

yeah, i did not pay attention to the proper use of infinite/infinitesimal.... I just like using the word so much I couldn't stop... like that game is ssn5.... use it once and you're hooked.

And I also completely forgot about all the Worfs in the one shuttle at the end. While that does address some of what I pointed out, it also begs the question why we didnt see an infinitesim....infinite amount of shuttlecrafts heading to the same/different points, depending on what's what in each universe.

There was a Family Guy Episode where something similar happened and Stewie got pissed and told every Stewie and Brian to go back to their respective universe. "Shows over!" lol

 

[at Quark's]

I started to read the Wikipedia entry on this and fell asleep almost immediately... of course that was probably due to the vodka.

I can understand that-- I'm a math geek. Wasn't meant as anything more than an offhand comment, anyway.

 

[Tosk]

it also begs the question why we didnt see an infinitesim....infinite amount of shuttlecrafts heading to the same/different points, depending on what's what in each universe.

No, because we are only observing one reality. One shuttle heads towards the rift carrying the "correct" Worf. We see the alternate Worfs due to him entering the rift.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I want a Quantum Leap reboot staring Michael Dorn, right now.

"Oh, petaQ!"