The truth about Internet Memes
What is reality? If physicists can't definitively pin down the true nature of the universe (or is it multi-verses??), then how can we claim to understand reality? The truth, as it turns out, is an elastic concept and science cannot explain it all. However, Science isn't a monolithic, unchanging force. Rather, Science is a process of asking and answering questions, following a clear set of rules of engagement. Following those rules of engagement does point us to certain answers. Said another way, when we play the game of science by the rules, there are right and wrong answers, even though these answers can change, as the evidence changes. That said, we can explain our realities today, following the current science of the day. And we can change our minds if we need to, when the scientific story shifts.
Internet meme #1: The Mandela Effect.
When we encounter conflicting knowledge, we feel the need to reconcile it. There are two competing explanations for how we might do this. The rules of science tell us to select option A.
A. Memories change each time we access them. Decades of research in memory processes document how memories change as a function of age, time, importance, and how frequently we discussed the experience with others. Science tells us that our stories change and we can believe false knowledge to be true.
B. Realities shift and we unknowingly step into a parallel universe where things are similar, but also different.