If you love sci-fi films or have watched the CW show, The Flash along with other superhero shows, you probably have come across the Many Worlds theory. Such a possibility presented in sci-fi entertainment, of alternate worlds apart from ours, is true in the eyes of physicists, cosmologists, and philosophers.

The Many Worlds theory comes from quantum mechanics. The theory essentially breaks down to small particles such as electrons. How may electrons lead to the establishment of multiple earths you may ask? Well, when we aren’t looking, microscopic particles aren’t in a definite location but are in constant movement. Because of the movement of the particles and other interactions in the quantum world, the universe splits, leading to multiple versions of things including ourselves.

The Many Worlds theory also ties in the Schrödinger equation with a twist in the idea that subatomic splits don’t necessarily only happen when we aren’t looking, but also when we are. In the Wired article, “Three Theories of Infinite Earths,” Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist, explains how various versions of the world and ourselves result, “by coming into contact with [an] electron [we] have split. Before there was only one of [us], afterward there are two.”

To second that interpretation, in an interview for Discover magazine, Carroll was questioned by Corey S. Powell about the overall quantum mechanics theory of Many Worlds. Carroll stated that “When you look at the electron, it’s not that there’s some sudden transition where boom, it’s in one location that happens to be where you saw it. Instead, it’s that the world branches into copies — one where the electron was here and you saw it here, another copy where the electron was there and you saw it there, and so forth.”

Because of these subatomic splits, the multiple worlds with different versions of ourselves come into existence. Apart from the Many Worlds theory, there is also the Infinite Universe theory and the Possible Worlds theory.

The Infinite Universe theory is associated with cosmetology and it focuses on the idea that the universe is infinite, but compared to the Many Worlds theory, the confirmation of this universe with no endpoint is rather difficult. Unlike what is presented in sci-fi films, crossing universes is almost impossible to do, as you need to travel faster than light, and it would take billions of years. The Possible Worlds theory is from a philosophy, developed by philosopher David Lewis, that states there are infinite worlds existing at the same time, but are invisible to each other.

Sean Carroll in the Wired article summed it up as “In the Infinite Universe they’re far away, but connected to us by space. In Many Worlds, they come into existence by measuring the system. In Possible Worlds, they’re all there, but they don’t talk to each other, they don’t bump into each other, and you can’t interact with them in any way.”

Thanks to Erwin Schrödinger, the idea of endless worlds came to reality in 1926 and like other ideas presented to society, there will be controversy. With other factors in play such as gravity, theories of numerous worlds or universes with many versions of ourselves may sound absurd to others who only believe in the existence of one reality and not the million others.

Nevertheless, Cynthia Mazariegos, a senior at Uni, in response to opposition to such theories said, “The idea of another us is scary. Yet there is no way that we are the only people living in the universe. Other worlds can exist, but nothing has been figured out on how to find them or even get to other worlds. Portals or passages to these worlds could be anywhere and we just don’t know.”

Evyn Armstrong, another senior at Uni said, “There is so much that we don't understand about time and space that these theories seem like they could be real. Plus, it is just more fun to believe in multiple worlds.”

In the end, it all comes down to belief. Although it’s impossible to meet other worlds, all we can do is wonder about the million possibilities. Whether believable or not, who knows how many versions of us are out there and how they are.

With the CW’s Superman and Lois on the way, there might be some added value to the network’s last show about Clark Kent aired in 2001, Smallville.

Smallville attempted to “humanize” Clark Kent, so that he would be a more relatable character. Its creator, Miles Millar, who also found success in Spider-Man 2, explains his interest in superheroes with his “love [of] popcorn movies. Ones that offer plenty of action along with great character dilemmas. So comic book properties hit my sweet spot.”

The interpretation of the comics’ value informed fans of the changes the show made in translating the comics. Smallville set itself apart from other superhero shows with “The decision to take away [Superman's] iconic costume really [helping to] humanize him. We needed the audience to understand what "felt" like to be Clark Kent growing up as the ultimate illegal alien in this small town.”

Millar also contributed to the idea that the show "took its characters seriously and the aesthetics and production values were state of the art.” There was a big point being made about taking the show seriously and making good television entertainment without the distraction of more outlandish elements from comics.

Millar also chose to create a show about Smallville because “Clark Kent's teenage years were largely skipped over in the original comics. So it was interesting to explore and expand this aspect of Superman's life.”

When creating the show, Millar and his writing partner, Alfred Gough, looked to the graphic novel “Superman: For All Seasons” by legendary comic book writer, Jeph Leob, and the M. Night Shyamalan movie Unbreakable. "For All Seasons" artist, Tim Sale, in an interview with SYFY Wire about the 2018 film, Superman said, “I like… putting Clark in Smallville. I didn’t like doing the stuff in Metropolis as much.” So, it would make sense that his passion for drawing Smallville would influence a show based around that small town.

Smallville's effect on superheroes in mainstream media has been quite major. When asked about the show’s effect, its creator, Miles Millar told me, “I think it opened people's eyes in Hollywood to the commercial and creative possibilities comic book material offered. In this way, the show was a gateway that allowed Marvel to flourish and the Arrowverse to explode.”

No matter what you think of them, CW’s Arrowverse shows have certainly been successfully pulling in an audience since 2012’s Arrow, and Smallville certainly played a hand in its popularity. Smallville was one of the early successes that showed mainstream audiences that good, popular superhero television can exist.

This legitimization of superhero comic book adaptations and comic books is something that creators still struggle with today.

In today’s society, many women are forced to carry pepper spray in fear that they might face a dangerous situation. Rainn.org is a statistical website that provides statistics in regards to how many women are raped in their lifetime. Rainn states that “1 out of every 6 women has been a victim of an attempt or completed raped.”

Women have been harassed, raped, or have heard of a close relative relating their experience with rape and harassment. Therefore, knowing the possible dangers, women buy their own pepper spray to protect and avoid such situations.

In terms of who carries pepper spray and why, a senior at University High School, who wishes to remain anonymous says, “I think that majority, if not all, that carry pepper spray are women. In today’s society women have to rely on pepper spray and other tools to feel protected.”

Emily Friesner, who is a Towson University student, discusses her situation to the news source, The Towerlight. When Friesner started her freshman year at Towson University, she noticed that many women carried identical pink pepper spray canisters. Seeing women carry the pepper spray canisters made Friesner feel some kind of connection to them. Friesner had a women’s studies class in which her professor asked “how many of you are afraid of being outside alone, especially at night?" After the stated question, Friesner noticed nearly every woman in the class raise her hand.

In response to the amount of safety felt while walking around the neighborhood at night, the anonymous senior responds, “I would say that it depends. If I am walking with my family I feel safe. However, if I was to be walking alone I would feel a bit unsafe and be more aware of my surroundings.”

With all the rape cases that have happened, the victims are usually women. Many women are taught to not wear “inappropriate,” “suggestive,” and “sexy” outfits as Friesner said. Women are taught to walk in packs, to be aware of our surroundings, and to use our pepper spray as a last-resort weapon.

Women deserve to go outside in the dark without having to worry about sexual violence. In this unsafe world, not worrying is never an option as the possibilities of danger are endless. Until then, women must wait and carry our pepper spray in our palms, ready to be used at any moment.

These past months, students all over the world have been doing school from home. We all know how little kids are and how much energy they have. Needless to say that because they are small, they tend to have a shorter attention span and always want to be doing something that keeps them entertained. Because of this, it is a struggle doing online school and keeping them focused. It was much more comfortable at in-person school since they were in a classroom and followed the teacher’s rules. Now, it is entirely different.

The Los Angeles Times explained, “Amber Francis is a third-grade teacher at Bethany School in Long Beach. She also has a first-grader and a third-grader at home. As the school’s distance learning facilitator, she said that after about 30 minutes, younger students tend to tune out.”

As the oldest sibling of a first grader and a fourth grader, I can see the difference between them when engaging online. My sister Mia is in first grade and I tend to tell her to sit still and stop moving from place to place a lot. Mia eventually starts to wander off and stops paying attention. It can be quite frustrating since I have my classes to attend and every time I ask her why she isn’t paying attention or listening, she says, “I’m bored.” My sister's response just leads me to have a whole conversation with her on why school is important. Since Mia does this a lot, I have many conversations with her about how education is essential. Sometimes I just have to tell myself that she doesn’t even fully understand what I say right now since her brain just wants to do entertaining things.

The Washington Post stated, “ I just want to play with my friends!” an 8-year-old patient said, bursting into tears. This was during a recent video visit one of us had with the patient and his mother, a single parent.”

Online school has been tough on the younger kids due to their need to socialize with others and stay amused. All of this was possible in regular schooling, but now it has been more challenging for them to learn the online curriculum. Teachers should incorporate more activities that allow the students to move around to get as much learning as possible.

Coronavirus has had a major impact on the high school student class of 2021. Seniors this year have so many worries to be taken care of. Students have a lot of stress on them already having to think about college and their steps to get there. However, that’s not all.

Seniors also don't have the ability to do much because most things are closed right now because of the pandemic. Jobs and internships are now hard to find with the pandemic affecting so many workers and companies. Additionally, the individual extracurriculars seniors participated in have been put on pause.

I interviewed Samantha Vaca, a University High School senior, and she has been attending Uni for three years, this year being her fourth. Coronavirus has left students wondering what they are going to do for college. When asked in regards to how coronavirus impacted her ability to apply for college, Samatha replied with, “Colleges are no longer asking for things such as the SAT and are now being testing blind.”

The Business Insider article, "Why high school juniors could be big losers in the coronavirus pandemic," stated, “With many current seniors looking to defer college admission for a year, there may be fewer spots available for the class of 2021.” In other words, kids will be fighting for their chances. The precautions that are necessary during this time can lead to fewer students actually getting into college.

A big part of moving on to life after college is getting experience with adult life. One specific part of this life is getting a job or internship. The VeryWell Family article, "Impact of COVID-19 on College Admission and Testing," says that “Over the summer, students were unable to get internships, participate in summer programs, prep for or take standardized tests, volunteer, and sometimes even work.”

With Coronavirus the job competition has increased and it has been a struggle for everyone especially the younger generation. As to whether she has been struggling to land job interviews due to Coronavirus, Vaca answered, “I've been trying to get a job for a while now, but due to Covid my mother doesn’t want me to get a job because it isn’t the safest option.”

These unforeseen moments were never expected for anyone, especially the high school senior class of 2021 that has been looking forward to experiencing their final high school year. Coronavirus has had a lot of negative impacts on the student community and they are trying their best to make do with what they've got.