Are You Really One of a Kind?
Imagine walking down the street, thinking that no one else in the universe is exactly like you. Your experiences, your thoughts, and even your random quirks make you feel special. But what if, somewhere out there, another version of you exists—living an identical life, making the same choices, and even reading this very article right now? While this may sound like science fiction, if the universe is truly infinite, then probability suggests it could be reality. And not just once, but an infinite number of times.
The Mystery Beyond Our Reach
We can only observe a small portion of the universe, known as the ’observable universe’. Beyond that, we have no way of knowing what lies beyond. Many cosmologists believe the universe is infinite because there is no evidence of an edge or boundary. But the very idea of an ’edge’ is paradoxical. If the universe were finite, with a definite boundary, what would exist beyond it? Would it be an empty void, or is there something more? And if there is something—or even nothing—beyond, would that not still be considered part of the universe? Because of these unresolved questions, an infinite universe is often seen as the simplest explanation.
The Certainty of the Unlikely
The law of large numbers tells us that in large enough trials, even rare events become inevitable. Let’s apply this idea to the universe. First, consider two identical atoms appearing in separate regions of space. In an infinite universe, this would eventually happen. Now, imagine two identical molecules, then two identical rocks with the same atomic structure. As the number of planets in the universe grows, it becomes not only possible but statistically necessary that some will be indistinguishable from one another. And scaling this up further, there could be entire planets that mirror Earth, with the same continents, civ ilizations, and people. While the probability of this happening in any specific location is astronomically small, in an infinite universe, every possibility must be realized—over and over again. This means there are not just a few duplicates of you, but an infinite number scattered across the cosmos. You are not just one in a billion; you are one in infinity.
A Glimmer of Hope?
This realization can feel unsettling, but all hope for uniqueness is not lost. Some theories suggest that the universe might not be infinite but instead finite and shaped like a torus (a donut). In such a universe, space would wrap around itself, creating a limited but unbounded cosmos. This means that while space would not extend forever, it would loop back on itself in a way that still avoids having an edge. If this were true, then while there would still be repetition, there would not be an infinite number of identical copies of you—offering a small sense of uniqueness.
The idea of an infinite universe challenges our perception of individuality. Yet, whether we are unique or not, what truly matters is the way we experience the world around us. Even if another version of you exists out there, you are still the only one living this life. Perhaps, regardless of the vastness of the universe, the most important thing is that our experience of life—our thoughts, our actions, our emotions—is unique to us, in this moment, in this place.