What is this called...?

Question

When you make a decision that can make your life go in a completely different direction? Like in the movie Sliding Doors. For those who haven't seen it, it splits into to alternate universes- one in which the main character Helen misses the train, the other in which she catches it. Her life goes in two completely different directions, and in one she actually dies.

Another example is in the Dark Materials trilogy. They talk about alternate universes, and how with each decision you make, it could be entirely different in another universe.

Is there a name for this? And where can I read more about it?

Answer 1

it must be black hole u can read abt in on wikipedia com

Answer 2

Dichotomy is the division of something into to parts.

Bifurcation is forking into two parts.

Both of those terms could be used to describe the splitting of your life into two separate timelines.

Oh, and as for the answer above mine...it's not the butterfly effect.  The butterfly affect is strictly concerned with consequences of actions along one timeline, not multiple timelines.  In the movie the butterfly effect we are shown the "before and after" timelines but the butterfly effect itself is only causality, not division.

Answer 3

As this is completely fictitious phenomenon I don't think it has been named properly.

Answer 4

oh i know what you mean exactly...

its called the butterfly effect...where a small thing u make can later on make huge changes....

watch the movies ...butterfly effect 1 and 2

you can also read the scientific part of the butterfly effect on wikipedia...just search for butterfly effect

Answer 5

Decisions are actions which arise out of the collapse of a quantum mechanical "probability wave"

We are immersed in a VIRTUAL pool of infinite swirling possibilities until we arrive at a critical state which I like to call "the little bang"

However - each "little bang" results in one and only one REAL action, thought, decision or feeling

But it is a beautiful movie - the idea of the probability wave collapsing into two realities.

Answer 6

I'm not sure if this exactly what you're talking about, but it sounds related: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_imm...