How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
In this moment, there is no logic.
No problem-solving.
No scientific method.
I am simply devastated, broken, terrified. (7.491-494)
At a certain point, Jason becomes so shaken by his experiences inside the box that he loses his ability to think scientifically. We can't blame him one bit: what he's going through is way more emotionally taxing than a physics exam.
Quote #8
There's always a boundary, a barrier between the equations and the reality they represent. But no more. Not for me at least. (8.19-20)
Even when he was a scientist, Jason always had some distance between him and the actual reality of theoretical physics. He could write down an equation that describes a black hole, for example, but he'd never be able to go inside one. Now, however, he's facing the complexities of the physical universe in an incredibly in-your-face kind of way.
Quote #9
"Are we standing in a physical location?"
"I think it's a manifestation of the mind as it attempts to visually explain something our brains haven't evolved to comprehend." (8.29-30)
This builds off the idea that our brains aren't evolved enough to comprehend the multiverse. The novel's depiction of the inside of the box—the endless hallway of doors—is there so that we can perceive something that probably doesn't actually exist in a physical sense. Instead, the inside of the box is more likely some cool swirl of mystical space energy, à la 2001: A Space Odyssey. Or maybe not. What do you think?