How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Imagine you're a fish, swimming in the pond. [...] To you, that little pond is an entire universe. Now imagine that someone reaches down and lifts you out of the pond." (6.57)
Okay—now for the real science stuff. While the book's depiction of the multiverse might be a bit simplified, it's true that quantum physics postulates that there are an infinite number of parallel universes out there. Whoa. Guess those late-night chats in your dorm room weren't so far off after all.
Quote #5
The Many-World interpretation of quantum mechanics says yes.
That when we open the box, there's a branch.
One universe where we discover a dead cat.
One where we discover a live one. (7.158-161)
This is an explanation of the thought experiment known as "Schrödinger's Cat." It goes like this: a cat is hidden inside a box with a vial of poison that has a fifty percent chance of killing it. The theory states that until we open that box, the cat is both alive and dead at the same time, and that it is the process of observation that determines its final state.
Quote #6
What if we actually inhabit the multiverse, but our brains have evolved in such a way as to equip us with a firewall that limits what we perceive to a single universe? (7.323)
In other words, Jason is saying that parallel dimensions are always around us, but our brains are simply not developed in a way that allows us to see them. It's not as crazy as it sounds. After all, when's the last time you saw UV rays? Or when's the last time you took a gander at a proton? There are many aspects of our world that are completely imperceptible to us. You might even say most aspects of our world are imperceptible to us.