The Multiverse #3: Reductio ad Absudum

This is the conclusion following from my previous two posts, and it's about to get really crazy (since it wasn't crazy before).

Remember, every second and infinite number of universes are being created due to the probabilistic nature of every atom.  And each of these universes is spinning off more universes.  So not only are constantly new universes being spun off of our universe, but also the alternate universe.  That means that, after Walter created the rip in the other universe, that universe has multiplied and created infinitely more universes.  So, actually, there should be an infinite number of universes at war with ours, thanks to Walter.  Fortunately, our universe has also spun off into an infinite number of new universes at the same rate as the alternate universe.  So, in theory, all the newly spun-off universes can just pair off and each war is one-on-one.  But the probability of that is….you guessed it, infinitely low.  So there’s bound to be at least one two-on-one situation, and almost certainly a ten-to-one situation, and a 100-to-1 situation, etc.  Suddenly, it seems the show should be much more dire.

That is to say, it’s dire for the particular universe in which the show takes place.  But in the grand scheme of things that hardly matters at all.  For if the alternative universe succeeds in destroying the universe inhabited by the show they have still not destroyed the infinite number of Walters that are being spun off from the so-called “original” Walter every second.  Let’s say Peter gets hooked up to the doomsday machine and blows our universe.  The exact moment he does that, another universe is spun off in which he decides not to, and thus an identical version of Walter, Olivia etc. continue to live.  In that sense, Walternate is fighting a war that he can literally never win.  No matter how many Walters he destroys, there are an infinite number getting spun off into new universes that he’ll never be able to reach, even as he spins off into an infinite number of himselves that are hunting Walter.

This is getting confusing.  But what it comes down to is that the protagonists can’t die.  Sure, their universe might be destroyed.  But if that universe goes down, there are an infinite number of replacements.  Maybe if someone points that out to Olivia she’ll relax a little bit.