🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 31 (from laksa185)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa031.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2018/09/landscape-theory\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2018/09/landscape-theory\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/stories\/2018\/09\/landscape-theory","crawl_time":1774745547,"first_indexed_time":0,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"edu,stanford!news,\/stories\/2018\/09\/landscape-theory s443","src_root_hash":"9619766982384267031","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Is our universe one of many? | Stanford Report","meta_descriptions":[""],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"September 10th, 2018\n| \n1\n min read\nScience & Engineering\nThis five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape nearly two decades ago.\nAs physicists have delved deeper and deeper into nature’s mysteries, they have been forced to accept the unsettling fact that our universe is suspiciously fine-tuned to support life. The amount of matter in the universe, the mass of the electron, the strength of gravity – if the value of any of these deviated only a tiny bit from what they actually are, then galaxies and stars could not form and biological life could not exist. The best theory that physicists have come up with to explain this cosmic coincidence is called the String Theory Landscape.\nThe String Theory Landscape combines elements from two of the strangest and most enduring ideas in modern physics – string theory and cosmic inflation – to argue that we live in a multiverse made up of infinitely many “pocket universes,” of which our perfectly calibrated universe is just one. This five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape – and in the process sparked a fierce and still ongoing debate about what science is and what it should be.\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\nPart 1: The String Theory Landscape\nThe String Theory Landscape combines elements of string theory and cosmic inflation to greatly expand the scope of the Big Bang theory to incorporate the idea of infinite universes in a vast multiverse. The theory’s advocates say it’s the only way to explain why certain features of the universe are suspiciously fine-tuned for life, while critics say it’s not scientific because it can’t be experimentally verified.\nRead part 1\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\nPart 2: A cosmic symphony of vibrating strings\nIn 1969, Leonard Susskind imagined the basic building blocks of the universe as invisible vibrating loops of energy. This insight would form the basis of string theory and help lead to a radical re-envisoning of how the universe began.\nRead part 2\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\nPart 3: The fractal universe\nLate one summer night nearly 40 years ago, Andrei Linde was seized by a sudden conviction that he knew how the universe was born. His nocturnal Eureka! moment would lead to the concept of a multiverse, a central part of the String Theory Landscape.\nRead part 3\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\nPart 4: Lambda leads the way\nThe discovery of dark energy in the 1990s marked a time of reckoning for string theorists: Either their theory had to account for the newfound force that was pushing spacetime apart or they had to admit that string theory may never describe the universe we actually live in.\nRead part 4\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\nPart 5: Exploring the landscape\nStanford physicists continue to survey the peaks and valleys of the String Theory Landscape that they helped discover nearly two decades ago, even as critics say the theory is ultimately untestable.\nRead part 5\nProduced by Amy Adams\nAuthor\nKer Than","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/stories\/2018\/09\/landscape-theory#main-content)\n\n[![Stanford University](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/file\/0023\/176063\/stanford-university-white.svg)](https:\/\/www.stanford.edu\/)\n\nMenu\n\n- [University News](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/university-news)\n- [Research & Scholarship](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/research-and-scholarship)\n- [On Campus](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/on-campus)\n- [Student Experience](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/student-experience)\n***\n- [Videos](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/video)\n- [Community Profiles](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/profile)\n- [In the News](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/in-the-news)\n- [University Updates](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/university-updates)\n- [Announcements](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/announcement)\n- [Recent Stories](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/news-archive)\n***\n- [Contact](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/contact)\n- [Subscribe](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/subscribe)\n- [Media Contacts](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/media-contacts)\n- [Press Center](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/press-center)\n\n- [Contact](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/contact)\n- [Press Center](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/press-center)\n\n- [Contact](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/contact)\n- [Press Center](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/press-center)\n***\n- [Community Engagement](https:\/\/community.stanford.edu\/)\n- [Admissions](https:\/\/admission.stanford.edu\/)\n- [Giving](https:\/\/giving.stanford.edu\/)\n- [Events](https:\/\/events.stanford.edu\/)\n\n- [VPSA](https:\/\/studentaffairs.stanford.edu\/)\n- [VPUE](https:\/\/undergrad.stanford.edu\/about-vpue)\n- [VPGE](https:\/\/vpge.stanford.edu\/)\n- [R\\&DE](https:\/\/rde.stanford.edu\/)\n\n- [Cardinal at Work](https:\/\/cardinalatwork.stanford.edu\/)\n- [University IT](https:\/\/uit.stanford.edu\/)\n- [Department of Public Safety](https:\/\/police.stanford.edu\/)\n- [Stanford Transportation](https:\/\/transportation.stanford.edu\/)\n\nClose menuClose\n\nToggle SearchSearchClose\n\n[![Stanford Report](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/file\/0034\/128995\/sr-logo-color.svg)](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/)[![Stanford Report](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/file\/0035\/128996\/srlogo_light.svg)](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/)\n\n# Is our universe one of many?\n## Read next:\n\nPreferencesShow me...\n\nFaculty\/Staff\n\nStudent\n\n## Along with Stanford news and stories, show me:\n- Student information\n- Faculty\/Staff information\n\nWe want to provide announcements, events, leadership messages and resources that are relevant to you. Your selection is stored in a browser cookie which you can remove at any time using “Clear all personalization” below.\n\nClear all personalization\n***\n\nClose preferencesClose\n\n- [University News](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/university-news)\n- [Research & Scholarship](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/research-and-scholarship)\n- [On Campus](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/on-campus)\n- [Student Experience](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/student-experience)\n\n## Stanford Report cookie usage information\nWe want to provide stories, announcements, events, leadership messages and resources that are relevant to you. Your selection is stored in a browser cookie which you can remove at any time by visiting the \"Show me...\" menu at the top right of the page. For more, read our [cookie policy](https:\/\/www.stanford.edu\/cookie-policy).\n\nAccept\n\nDecline\n\nSeptember 10th, 2018\n\n\\| 1 min read\n\n[Science & Engineering](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/research-and-scholarship\/topic\/science-and-engineering)\n# Is our universe one of many?\nThis five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape nearly two decades ago.\n\nAs physicists have delved deeper and deeper into nature’s mysteries, they have been forced to accept the unsettling fact that our universe is suspiciously fine-tuned to support life. The amount of matter in the universe, the mass of the electron, the strength of gravity – if the value of any of these deviated only a tiny bit from what they actually are, then galaxies and stars could not form and biological life could not exist. The best theory that physicists have come up with to explain this cosmic coincidence is called the String Theory Landscape.\n\nThe String Theory Landscape combines elements from two of the strangest and most enduring ideas in modern physics – string theory and cosmic inflation – to argue that we live in a multiverse made up of infinitely many “pocket universes,” of which our perfectly calibrated universe is just one. This five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape – and in the process sparked a fierce and still ongoing debate about what science is and what it should be.\n\n[![](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/image\/0024\/88215\/varieties\/960w.jpg)](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/10\/string-theory-landscape\/)\n\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\n\n### [Part 1: The String Theory Landscape](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/10\/string-theory-landscape\/)\nThe String Theory Landscape combines elements of string theory and cosmic inflation to greatly expand the scope of the Big Bang theory to incorporate the idea of infinite universes in a vast multiverse. The theory’s advocates say it’s the only way to explain why certain features of the universe are suspiciously fine-tuned for life, while critics say it’s not scientific because it can’t be experimentally verified.\n\n[Read part 1](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/10\/string-theory-landscape\/)\n\n[![String theory illustration](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/image\/0025\/88216\/varieties\/600w.jpg)](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/11\/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings\/)\n\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\n\n### [Part 2: A cosmic symphony of vibrating strings](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/11\/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings\/)\nIn 1969, Leonard Susskind imagined the basic building blocks of the universe as invisible vibrating loops of energy. This insight would form the basis of string theory and help lead to a radical re-envisoning of how the universe began.\n\n[Read part 2](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/11\/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings\/)\n\n[![Birth of the multiverse illustration.](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/image\/0026\/88217\/varieties\/960w.jpg)](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/12\/the-fractal-universe\/)\n\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\n\n### [Part 3: The fractal universe](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/12\/the-fractal-universe\/)\nLate one summer night nearly 40 years ago, Andrei Linde was seized by a sudden conviction that he knew how the universe was born. His nocturnal Eureka! moment would lead to the concept of a multiverse, a central part of the String Theory Landscape.\n\n[Read part 3](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/12\/the-fractal-universe\/)\n\n[![Expanding universe illustration](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/image\/0028\/88219\/varieties\/960w.jpg)](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/13\/lambda-leads-way\/)\n\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\n\n### [Part 4: Lambda leads the way](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/13\/lambda-leads-way\/)\nThe discovery of dark energy in the 1990s marked a time of reckoning for string theorists: Either their theory had to account for the newfound force that was pushing spacetime apart or they had to admit that string theory may never describe the universe we actually live in.\n\n[Read part 4](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/13\/lambda-leads-way\/)\n\n![String theory illustration](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/image\/0020\/88220\/varieties\/960w.jpg)\n\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\n\n### [Part 5: Exploring the landscape](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/14\/exploring-the-landscape\/)\nStanford physicists continue to survey the peaks and valleys of the String Theory Landscape that they helped discover nearly two decades ago, even as critics say the theory is ultimately untestable.\n\n[Read part 5](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/14\/exploring-the-landscape\/)\n\n*Produced by Amy Adams*\n\n### Author\nKer Than\n\n### Campus unit\n[Stanford School of Humanities & Sciences](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/featured-unit\/stanford-school-of-humanities-and-sciences)\n\n### Related topics\n[Science & Engineering](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/research-and-scholarship\/topic\/science-and-engineering)\n\n[Physics](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/research-and-scholarship\/topic\/science-and-engineering\/physics)\n\n### Share this story\nCopy link\n\n![](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/_designs\/component-service\/images\/20251125_Carolyn_Bertozzi_95A1016-3.jpg)\n\n## Research Matters\nGroundbreaking innovations that begin in Stanford labs flow freely into private industry to improve human well-being, fuel the economy, and strengthen American competitiveness.\n\n[Learn more about research at Stanford](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/features\/research-at-stanford)\n## Stories for you\n## Popular stories\n1. 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Stanford, California 94305.","attrs_readable_markdown":"September 10th, 2018 \\| 1 min read[Science & Engineering](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/research-and-scholarship\/topic\/science-and-engineering)\n\nThis five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape nearly two decades ago.\n\nAs physicists have delved deeper and deeper into nature’s mysteries, they have been forced to accept the unsettling fact that our universe is suspiciously fine-tuned to support life. The amount of matter in the universe, the mass of the electron, the strength of gravity – if the value of any of these deviated only a tiny bit from what they actually are, then galaxies and stars could not form and biological life could not exist. The best theory that physicists have come up with to explain this cosmic coincidence is called the String Theory Landscape.\n\nThe String Theory Landscape combines elements from two of the strangest and most enduring ideas in modern physics – string theory and cosmic inflation – to argue that we live in a multiverse made up of infinitely many “pocket universes,” of which our perfectly calibrated universe is just one. This five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape – and in the process sparked a fierce and still ongoing debate about what science is and what it should be.\n\n[![](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/image\/0024\/88215\/varieties\/960w.jpg)](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/10\/string-theory-landscape\/)\n\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\n\n### [Part 1: The String Theory Landscape](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/10\/string-theory-landscape\/)\nThe String Theory Landscape combines elements of string theory and cosmic inflation to greatly expand the scope of the Big Bang theory to incorporate the idea of infinite universes in a vast multiverse. The theory’s advocates say it’s the only way to explain why certain features of the universe are suspiciously fine-tuned for life, while critics say it’s not scientific because it can’t be experimentally verified.\n\n[Read part 1](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/10\/string-theory-landscape\/)\n\n[![String theory illustration](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/image\/0025\/88216\/varieties\/600w.jpg)](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/11\/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings\/)\n\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\n\n### [Part 2: A cosmic symphony of vibrating strings](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/11\/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings\/)\nIn 1969, Leonard Susskind imagined the basic building blocks of the universe as invisible vibrating loops of energy. This insight would form the basis of string theory and help lead to a radical re-envisoning of how the universe began.\n\n[Read part 2](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/11\/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings\/)\n\n[![Birth of the multiverse illustration.](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/image\/0026\/88217\/varieties\/960w.jpg)](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/12\/the-fractal-universe\/)\n\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\n\n### [Part 3: The fractal universe](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/12\/the-fractal-universe\/)\nLate one summer night nearly 40 years ago, Andrei Linde was seized by a sudden conviction that he knew how the universe was born. His nocturnal Eureka! moment would lead to the concept of a multiverse, a central part of the String Theory Landscape.\n\n[Read part 3](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/12\/the-fractal-universe\/)\n\n[![Expanding universe illustration](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/image\/0028\/88219\/varieties\/960w.jpg)](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/13\/lambda-leads-way\/)\n\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\n\n### [Part 4: Lambda leads the way](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/13\/lambda-leads-way\/)\nThe discovery of dark energy in the 1990s marked a time of reckoning for string theorists: Either their theory had to account for the newfound force that was pushing spacetime apart or they had to admit that string theory may never describe the universe we actually live in.\n\n[Read part 4](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/13\/lambda-leads-way\/)\n\n![String theory illustration](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/__data\/assets\/image\/0020\/88220\/varieties\/960w.jpg)\n\nImage credit: Eric Nyquist\n\n### [Part 5: Exploring the landscape](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/14\/exploring-the-landscape\/)\nStanford physicists continue to survey the peaks and valleys of the String Theory Landscape that they helped discover nearly two decades ago, even as critics say the theory is ultimately untestable.\n\n[Read part 5](https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2018\/09\/14\/exploring-the-landscape\/)\n\n*Produced by Amy Adams*\n\n### Author\nKer Than","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	September 10th, 2018 \| 1 min read Science & Engineering This five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape nearly two decades ago. As physicists have delved deeper and deeper into nature’s mysteries, they have been forced to accept the unsettling fact that our universe is suspiciously fine-tuned to support life. The amount of matter in the universe, the mass of the electron, the strength of gravity – if the value of any of these deviated only a tiny bit from what they actually are, then galaxies and stars could not form and biological life could not exist. The best theory that physicists have come up with to explain this cosmic coincidence is called the String Theory Landscape. The String Theory Landscape combines elements from two of the strangest and most enduring ideas in modern physics – string theory and cosmic inflation – to argue that we live in a multiverse made up of infinitely many “pocket universes,” of which our perfectly calibrated universe is just one. This five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape – and in the process sparked a fierce and still ongoing debate about what science is and what it should be. Image credit: Eric Nyquist Part 1: The String Theory Landscape The String Theory Landscape combines elements of string theory and cosmic inflation to greatly expand the scope of the Big Bang theory to incorporate the idea of infinite universes in a vast multiverse. The theory’s advocates say it’s the only way to explain why certain features of the universe are suspiciously fine-tuned for life, while critics say it’s not scientific because it can’t be experimentally verified. Read part 1 Image credit: Eric Nyquist Part 2: A cosmic symphony of vibrating strings In 1969, Leonard Susskind imagined the basic building blocks of the universe as invisible vibrating loops of energy. This insight would form the basis of string theory and help lead to a radical re-envisoning of how the universe began. Read part 2 Image credit: Eric Nyquist Part 3: The fractal universe Late one summer night nearly 40 years ago, Andrei Linde was seized by a sudden conviction that he knew how the universe was born. His nocturnal Eureka! moment would lead to the concept of a multiverse, a central part of the String Theory Landscape. Read part 3 Image credit: Eric Nyquist Part 4: Lambda leads the way The discovery of dark energy in the 1990s marked a time of reckoning for string theorists: Either their theory had to account for the newfound force that was pushing spacetime apart or they had to admit that string theory may never describe the universe we actually live in. Read part 4 Image credit: Eric Nyquist Part 5: Exploring the landscape Stanford physicists continue to survey the peaks and valleys of the String Theory Landscape that they helped discover nearly two decades ago, even as critics say the theory is ultimately untestable. Read part 5 Produced by Amy Adams Author Ker Than
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2018/09/landscape-theory#main-content) [![Stanford University](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/file/0023/176063/stanford-university-white.svg)](https://www.stanford.edu/) Menu - [University News](https://news.stanford.edu/university-news) - [Research & Scholarship](https://news.stanford.edu/research-and-scholarship) - [On Campus](https://news.stanford.edu/on-campus) - [Student Experience](https://news.stanford.edu/student-experience) * - [Videos](https://news.stanford.edu/video) - [Community Profiles](https://news.stanford.edu/profile) - [In the News](https://news.stanford.edu/in-the-news) - [University Updates](https://news.stanford.edu/university-updates) - [Announcements](https://news.stanford.edu/announcement) - [Recent Stories](https://news.stanford.edu/news-archive) * - [Contact](https://news.stanford.edu/contact) - [Subscribe](https://news.stanford.edu/subscribe) - [Media Contacts](https://news.stanford.edu/media-contacts) - [Press Center](https://news.stanford.edu/press-center) - [Contact](https://news.stanford.edu/contact) - [Press Center](https://news.stanford.edu/press-center) - [Contact](https://news.stanford.edu/contact) - [Press Center](https://news.stanford.edu/press-center) * - [Community Engagement](https://community.stanford.edu/) - [Admissions](https://admission.stanford.edu/) - [Giving](https://giving.stanford.edu/) - [Events](https://events.stanford.edu/) - [VPSA](https://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/) - [VPUE](https://undergrad.stanford.edu/about-vpue) - [VPGE](https://vpge.stanford.edu/) - [R\&DE](https://rde.stanford.edu/) - [Cardinal at Work](https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/) - [University IT](https://uit.stanford.edu/) - [Department of Public Safety](https://police.stanford.edu/) - [Stanford Transportation](https://transportation.stanford.edu/) Close menuClose Toggle SearchSearchClose [![Stanford Report](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/file/0034/128995/sr-logo-color.svg)](https://news.stanford.edu/)[![Stanford Report](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/file/0035/128996/srlogo_light.svg)](https://news.stanford.edu/) # Is our universe one of many? ## Read next: PreferencesShow me... Faculty/Staff Student ## Along with Stanford news and stories, show me: - Student information - Faculty/Staff information We want to provide announcements, events, leadership messages and resources that are relevant to you. Your selection is stored in a browser cookie which you can remove at any time using “Clear all personalization” below. Clear all personalization * Close preferencesClose - [University News](https://news.stanford.edu/university-news) - [Research & Scholarship](https://news.stanford.edu/research-and-scholarship) - [On Campus](https://news.stanford.edu/on-campus) - [Student Experience](https://news.stanford.edu/student-experience) ## Stanford Report cookie usage information We want to provide stories, announcements, events, leadership messages and resources that are relevant to you. Your selection is stored in a browser cookie which you can remove at any time by visiting the "Show me..." menu at the top right of the page. For more, read our [cookie policy](https://www.stanford.edu/cookie-policy). Accept Decline September 10th, 2018 \\| 1 min read [Science & Engineering](https://news.stanford.edu/research-and-scholarship/topic/science-and-engineering) # Is our universe one of many? This five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape nearly two decades ago. As physicists have delved deeper and deeper into nature’s mysteries, they have been forced to accept the unsettling fact that our universe is suspiciously fine-tuned to support life. The amount of matter in the universe, the mass of the electron, the strength of gravity – if the value of any of these deviated only a tiny bit from what they actually are, then galaxies and stars could not form and biological life could not exist. The best theory that physicists have come up with to explain this cosmic coincidence is called the String Theory Landscape. The String Theory Landscape combines elements from two of the strangest and most enduring ideas in modern physics – string theory and cosmic inflation – to argue that we live in a multiverse made up of infinitely many “pocket universes,” of which our perfectly calibrated universe is just one. This five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape – and in the process sparked a fierce and still ongoing debate about what science is and what it should be. [![](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0024/88215/varieties/960w.jpg)](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/10/string-theory-landscape/) Image credit: Eric Nyquist ### [Part 1: The String Theory Landscape](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/10/string-theory-landscape/) The String Theory Landscape combines elements of string theory and cosmic inflation to greatly expand the scope of the Big Bang theory to incorporate the idea of infinite universes in a vast multiverse. The theory’s advocates say it’s the only way to explain why certain features of the universe are suspiciously fine-tuned for life, while critics say it’s not scientific because it can’t be experimentally verified. [Read part 1](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/10/string-theory-landscape/) [![String theory illustration](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0025/88216/varieties/600w.jpg)](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/11/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings/) Image credit: Eric Nyquist ### [Part 2: A cosmic symphony of vibrating strings](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/11/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings/) In 1969, Leonard Susskind imagined the basic building blocks of the universe as invisible vibrating loops of energy. This insight would form the basis of string theory and help lead to a radical re-envisoning of how the universe began. [Read part 2](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/11/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings/) [![Birth of the multiverse illustration.](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0026/88217/varieties/960w.jpg)](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/12/the-fractal-universe/) Image credit: Eric Nyquist ### [Part 3: The fractal universe](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/12/the-fractal-universe/) Late one summer night nearly 40 years ago, Andrei Linde was seized by a sudden conviction that he knew how the universe was born. His nocturnal Eureka! moment would lead to the concept of a multiverse, a central part of the String Theory Landscape. [Read part 3](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/12/the-fractal-universe/) [![Expanding universe illustration](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0028/88219/varieties/960w.jpg)](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/13/lambda-leads-way/) Image credit: Eric Nyquist ### [Part 4: Lambda leads the way](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/13/lambda-leads-way/) The discovery of dark energy in the 1990s marked a time of reckoning for string theorists: Either their theory had to account for the newfound force that was pushing spacetime apart or they had to admit that string theory may never describe the universe we actually live in. [Read part 4](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/13/lambda-leads-way/) ![String theory illustration](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0020/88220/varieties/960w.jpg) Image credit: Eric Nyquist ### [Part 5: Exploring the landscape](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/14/exploring-the-landscape/) Stanford physicists continue to survey the peaks and valleys of the String Theory Landscape that they helped discover nearly two decades ago, even as critics say the theory is ultimately untestable. [Read part 5](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/14/exploring-the-landscape/) Produced by Amy Adams ### Author Ker Than ### Campus unit [Stanford School of Humanities & Sciences](https://news.stanford.edu/featured-unit/stanford-school-of-humanities-and-sciences) ### Related topics [Science & Engineering](https://news.stanford.edu/research-and-scholarship/topic/science-and-engineering) [Physics](https://news.stanford.edu/research-and-scholarship/topic/science-and-engineering/physics) ### Share this story Copy link ![](https://news.stanford.edu/_designs/component-service/images/20251125_Carolyn_Bertozzi_95A1016-3.jpg) ## Research Matters Groundbreaking innovations that begin in Stanford labs flow freely into private industry to improve human well-being, fuel the economy, and strengthen American competitiveness. [Learn more about research at Stanford](https://news.stanford.edu/features/research-at-stanford) ## Stories for you ## Popular stories 1. 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Readable Markdown	September 10th, 2018 \\| 1 min read[Science & Engineering](https://news.stanford.edu/research-and-scholarship/topic/science-and-engineering) This five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape nearly two decades ago. As physicists have delved deeper and deeper into nature’s mysteries, they have been forced to accept the unsettling fact that our universe is suspiciously fine-tuned to support life. The amount of matter in the universe, the mass of the electron, the strength of gravity – if the value of any of these deviated only a tiny bit from what they actually are, then galaxies and stars could not form and biological life could not exist. The best theory that physicists have come up with to explain this cosmic coincidence is called the String Theory Landscape. The String Theory Landscape combines elements from two of the strangest and most enduring ideas in modern physics – string theory and cosmic inflation – to argue that we live in a multiverse made up of infinitely many “pocket universes,” of which our perfectly calibrated universe is just one. This five-part series tells the story of how theoretical physicists at Stanford helped develop the String Theory Landscape – and in the process sparked a fierce and still ongoing debate about what science is and what it should be. [![](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0024/88215/varieties/960w.jpg)](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/10/string-theory-landscape/) Image credit: Eric Nyquist ### [Part 1: The String Theory Landscape](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/10/string-theory-landscape/) The String Theory Landscape combines elements of string theory and cosmic inflation to greatly expand the scope of the Big Bang theory to incorporate the idea of infinite universes in a vast multiverse. The theory’s advocates say it’s the only way to explain why certain features of the universe are suspiciously fine-tuned for life, while critics say it’s not scientific because it can’t be experimentally verified. [Read part 1](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/10/string-theory-landscape/) [![String theory illustration](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0025/88216/varieties/600w.jpg)](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/11/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings/) Image credit: Eric Nyquist ### [Part 2: A cosmic symphony of vibrating strings](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/11/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings/) In 1969, Leonard Susskind imagined the basic building blocks of the universe as invisible vibrating loops of energy. This insight would form the basis of string theory and help lead to a radical re-envisoning of how the universe began. [Read part 2](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/11/cosmic-symphony-vibrating-strings/) [![Birth of the multiverse illustration.](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0026/88217/varieties/960w.jpg)](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/12/the-fractal-universe/) Image credit: Eric Nyquist ### [Part 3: The fractal universe](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/12/the-fractal-universe/) Late one summer night nearly 40 years ago, Andrei Linde was seized by a sudden conviction that he knew how the universe was born. His nocturnal Eureka! moment would lead to the concept of a multiverse, a central part of the String Theory Landscape. [Read part 3](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/12/the-fractal-universe/) [![Expanding universe illustration](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0028/88219/varieties/960w.jpg)](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/13/lambda-leads-way/) Image credit: Eric Nyquist ### [Part 4: Lambda leads the way](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/13/lambda-leads-way/) The discovery of dark energy in the 1990s marked a time of reckoning for string theorists: Either their theory had to account for the newfound force that was pushing spacetime apart or they had to admit that string theory may never describe the universe we actually live in. [Read part 4](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/13/lambda-leads-way/) ![String theory illustration](https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0020/88220/varieties/960w.jpg) Image credit: Eric Nyquist ### [Part 5: Exploring the landscape](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/14/exploring-the-landscape/) Stanford physicists continue to survey the peaks and valleys of the String Theory Landscape that they helped discover nearly two decades ago, even as critics say the theory is ultimately untestable. [Read part 5](https://news.stanford.edu/2018/09/14/exploring-the-landscape/) Produced by Amy Adams ### Author Ker Than
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