Can a theory be science if we can never observe it?

Space · Published 28 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The multiverse is often dismissed as mere science fiction because we cannot visit other dimensions or see beyond our own cosmic horizon. Yet, Nobel laureate Saul Perlmutter suggests that the line between imagination and empirical science might be thinner than we think.

Saul Perlmutter, a 2011 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, is renowned for discovering that the universe's expansion is accelerating—a revelation that fundamentally altered our understanding of dark energy and cosmic evolution. His work on the Supernova Cosmology Project involved analyzing exploding stars to determine how they moved over time. By observing that light from distant supernovae appeared weaker and shifted toward a reddish hue, Perlmutter and his colleagues reached a surprising conclusion in 1998: the universe is not slowing down due to gravity as previously believed, but is expanding at an ever-increasing rate.

This background in high-level observational astrophysics informs his perspective on the multiverse. The central debate lies in the definition of science itself: does it require direct observation, or can it be validated through logical necessity? According to Perlmutter, theories such as the multiverse must not be rejected merely due to their oddity or lack of accessibility. Instead, he proposes a standard for scientific legitimacy based on predictive power. If a theory eventually produces surprising, testable predictions that cannot be explained by any other existing model, it moves from the realm of speculation into genuine science.

This perspective highlights a shift in how we approach 'the right way to be wrong' and how we define truth. For Perlmutter, scientific-style critical thinking involves looking for the most robust explanation for our observations. If the multiverse provides the only viable framework to explain specific data points that remain otherwise inexplicable, it fulfills the core requirement of science: providing a functional map of reality. His advocacy suggests that as our tools and theories evolve, the boundaries of what we consider 'observable' may expand to include the logical consequences of our most profound cosmological models.

Perlmutter’s career at institutions like UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been dedicated to exploring these fundamental issues of existence. By promoting a reality where we scrutinise our claims of truth more rigorously, he encourages us to think that physics' next major breakthrough could emerge from concepts currently beyond our grasp.

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