If you destroyed the world, what would you do? Lament the fact that your dream girl is now a mantis-person? If you’re genius/drunk/grandpa Rick Sanchez, you simply find another universe where you didn’t destroy the world. This timeline-hopping of the irreverent, depressing, and brilliant animated comedy Rick and Morty isn’t just a sci-fi deus ex machina — reality might work that way.

In my latest Because Science, I’m running through the one scientific theory that unites all of the Rickstaverse: the Many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Developed by physicist Hugh Everett in the 1950s, this controversial interpretation may only be accepted by a minority of physicists, but its possible implications for reality are huge.

If you had a portal gun like Rick, you could access every event that did and will happen to you. Confused? Maybe the best advice is to not think about it. Wubba-lubba-dub-dub!

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***Correction: So yeah, Rick is definitely not Morty’s uncle, but in an alternate timeline he is? I don’t know, best not to think about it.

Check out my last video on what is inside the Joker’s laughing gas, subscribe to this playlist to stay current with the show, buy a Because Science shirt, and follow me on Twitter to give me a suggestion for the next episode!