In string theory, the “landscape” refers to a vast set of possible vacuum states, often portrayed as a literal multiverse — countless universes, each with different physical constants, awaiting exploration. Popular accounts suggest we inhabit one of these universes by chance.
Effect: This framing imports teleology and randomness as ontological givens. It presumes the landscape is a pre-existing collection of actual universes rather than a tool for reasoning about potentialities. The metaphor seduces us into thinking the cosmos is a stage populated by countless hidden worlds.
Relational Reframe: The landscape is symbolic potential space, encoding ways in which the relational structure of physical laws could instantiate different outcomes. Our “universe” is not one of many literal bubbles; it is an actualisation within the constraints of a symbolic system. Probability measures over the landscape are about degrees of alignment, not real, discrete parallel worlds.
Takeaway: The string landscape is a framework for potentiality, not a literal multiverse. Confusing the map for the territory leads to the very metaphysical confusion we aim to avoid.
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