Dark Matter introduces viewers to a mind-bending way of multiverse travel involving a mysterious box. But even by the end of the series, people are left with multiple questions about how the box works and enables multiverse travel.
So, here is everything you need to know about the box, the multiverse, and interdimensional traveling through it.
How does the box and its multiverse travel work in Dark Matter?
Throughout Dark Matter, viewers see Jason 1 and other variants using the box that was created by Jason 2. The box practically brings Erwin Schrödinger’s cat experiment to life, where the cat could exist in multiple states within a box. It would be in superposition, either dead or alive. So, the Box provides an environment to put a person in superposition, allowing them to exist in multiple states at once, which in turn allows them to open doors to different realities.
While the box provides an environment to reach superposition, it only works in combination with the drug that Ryan created for Velocity. Injecting the drug into a human would alter the brain chemistry of the prefrontal cortex, putting certain areas to sleep. As a result, when a person enters the box with the drug in their system, they could be in superposition because the drug essentially stops their brain from causing its own decoherence. It allows their consciousness to comprehend the liminal space of a multiversal gateway.
In superposition, the person within the box sees a corridor of a cross-section of probable realities that are adjacent to their original reality. So, using the box, a person could only open a door to a reality that was similar to their own, but one decision or altercation caused it to change.
Furthermore, to access a desired reality, the thoughts, emotions, and conscience of the person in superposition would have to be in alignment. Otherwise, they’d end up in realities that are slightly or drastically different from their own. Being in full control of his mind, Jason 2 mastered using the box for multiverse travel, and was able to hop into different realities.
While learning to do that, Jason 1 did the same. But his actions had dire consequences.
How did the box create so many Jasons in Dark Matter?
Episode 8, revealed that using the box came with a massive demerit. Every time Jason 1 made a crucial decision inside the box, it caused a parallel version of him to exist in the multiverse. Jason 2 also originated from Jason 1 or vice-versa as they both chose different things in life. One chose to follow his career and make scientific discoveries while the other chose to be with Daniela and Charlie.
So, multiple variants of Jason 1 were created in the box when he used it, each facing different challenges to get back home. Some Jasons had brutal injuries showing the tough battles they fought. Ultimately, a tangled web of Jason was created as infinite versions of them were formed. The show kept viewers guessing, playing with the idea of parallel worlds and the ripple effects of Jason 1’s choices inside the box.
