--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were timelines branching and…" description: "\"There were timelines branching and branching, a mega-universe of universes, millions more every minute. Billions? Trillions? The universe split every t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/larry-niven-4263_billions_there-were-timelines-branching-and-branc_3140362.png" --- # There were timelines branching and branching, a… ![“There were timelines branching and branching, a mega-universe of universes, millions more every minute. Billions? Trillions? The universe split every time someone made a decision. Split, so that every decision ever made could go both ways. Every choice made by every man, woman, and child was…” quote by Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/larry-niven-4263_billions_there-were-timelines-branching-and-branc_3140362.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/larry-niven-4263_billions_there-were-timelines-branching-and-branc_3140362.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/larry-niven-4263_billions_there-were-timelines-branching-and-branc_3140362.png) > “There were timelines branching and branching, a mega-universe of universes, millions more every minute. Billions? Trillions? The universe split every time someone made a decision. Split, so that every decision ever made could go both ways. Every choice made by every man, woman, and child was reversed in the universe next door.” [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Infinite branching universes mean every decision creates a parallel reality, suggesting limitless possibilities. **In simple terms:** Every choice spawns another world. Key Takeaway Consider the weight of decisions. Themes philosophy multiverse choice Mood thoughtful speculative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - ethical dilemmas - creative brainstorming - scenario planning Key Concepts determinism possibility free will Questions to Reflect On - How do you cope with decision anxiety? - Do you believe all possibilities exist? A Different Perspective The concept can be overwhelming and paralyzing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Billions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/) [Every man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-man/) [Every Minute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-minute/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Mega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mega/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men & women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-women-2/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Next door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-door/) [Splits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/splits/) [Timelines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/timelines/) [Timelines Branching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/timelines-branching-5592567/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Split](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-split-682498/) [Universe Universes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-universes-981160/) [Universes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universes/) [Universes Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universes-millions-5592566/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“You are an Universe of Universes and your soul a source of songs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rub-n-dar-o/you-are-an-universe-of-universes-and-your-soul-a-source-of-songs/) [Ruben Dario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rub-n-dar-o/) > [One theory is that the universe came from nothing. i.e. perhaps bubble-universes collided, as in a bubble bath, and gave birth to the universe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/one-theory-is-that-the-universe-came-from-nothing-i-e-perhaps-bubble/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [And I try to piece the puzzle of the universe, Split an eight of shrooms just so I could see the universe !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-cudi/and-i-try-to-piece-the-puzzle-of-the-universe-split-an-eight-of/) [Kid Cudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-cudi/) > [Tattoos, for me, are like a timeline of my life. I could look at a certain tattoo, and it reminds of me of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyga/tattoos-for-me-are-like-a-timeline-of-my-life-i-could-look-at-a/) [Tyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyga/) > [In addition to a timeline, I have proposed that U.S. troops be removed from front line combat positions in Iraqi cities and towns, turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/in-addition-to-a-timeline-i-have-proposed-that-u-s-troops-be-removed/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [I'm deeply interested in the photograph as a record of an encounter and enjoy putting myself in a timeline of image-makers, alongside other travelers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-meiselas/i-m-deeply-interested-in-the-photograph-as-a-record-of-an-encounter/) [Susan Meiselas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-meiselas/) > [You should see some of the things people tweet me. There have been death wishes on my Twitter timeline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-madekwe/you-should-see-some-of-the-things-people-tweet-me-there-have-been/) [Ashley Madekwe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-madekwe/) > [The military taught me the importance of getting something done in a timely manner and the importance of completing a mission on time. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-young/the-military-taught-me-the-importance-of-getting-something-done-in-a/) [Don Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-young/) > [Grief is not just a series of events, stages, or timelines. Our society places enormous pressure on us to get over loss, to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/grief-is-not-just-a-series-of-events-stages-or-timelines-our-society/) [Elisabeth Kubler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/) > [ America is the one place in the world where I just innately understood \[that\] South Africa and the United States of America have a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/america-is-the-one-place-in-the-world-where-i-just-innately/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [I have this embedded faith in the process through which films of a certain type get discovered on longer timelines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-have-this-embedded-faith-in-the-process-through-which-films-of-a/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [You have the rest of your life to be married. Enjoy falling in love. When girls get caught up in the timeline, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-conrad/you-have-the-rest-of-your-life-to-be-married-enjoy-falling-in-love/) [Lauren Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-conrad/) > [There is a lot of music out there that you can play side by side and you can't hear the personality - that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skrillex/there-is-a-lot-of-music-out-there-that-you-can-play-side-by-side-and/) [Skrillex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skrillex/) > [We don't really have a place in the universe, as far as on a timeline. But nothing else does either. Therefore every moment really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaki-king/we-don-t-really-have-a-place-in-the-universe-as-far-as-on-a-timeline/) [Kaki King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaki-king/) > [ With Legion, we're our own universe. It gives Noah \[Hawley\] the freedom to do what he wants to do. Because we play with so… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/with-legion-we-re-our-own-universe-it-gives-noah-hawley-the-freedom/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) ## More by Larry Niven > [“Once Louis Wu had sworn to live forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/once-louis-wu-had-sworn-to-live-forever/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [In challenging a kzin, a simple scream of rage is sufficient. You scream and you leap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/in-challenging-a-kzin-a-simple-scream-of-rage-is-sufficient-you/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“There is no cause so good or noble that it will not attract fuggheads; and the fuggheads will get all the press.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/there-is-no-cause-so-good-or-noble-that-it-will-not-attract-fuggheads/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“Music had played suddenly through the cabin, complex and lovely, rich in minor tones, like the sad call of a sex-maddened computer. Nessus whistled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/music-had-played-suddenly-through-the-cabin-complex-and-lovely-rich/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“This place is a playground for a questing mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/this-place-is-a-playground-for-a-questing-mind/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“have precious little free will," he was saying. "We're too intelligent not to see the right answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/have-precious-little-free-will-he-was-saying-we-re-too-intelligent/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“1a) Never throw shit at an armed man. 1b) Never stand next to someone who is throwing shit at an armed man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/1a-never-throw-shit-at-an-armed-man-1b-never-stand-next-to-someone/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [We learn only to ask more questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/we-learn-only-to-ask-more-questions/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“Everything starts as somebody's dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/everything-starts-as-somebody-s-dream/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“I asked him, "Do you know the difference between nude and naked?" He shook his head. "Nude is artistic. Naked is defenseless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/i-asked-him-do-you-know-the-difference-between-nude-and-naked-he/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [Intelligence is just a tool to be used toward a goal, and goals are not always chosen intelligently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/intelligence-is-just-a-tool-to-be-used-toward-a-goal-and-goals-are/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [And every friend I've got has been writing Mars stories. It was pretty clear I'd never catch up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/and-every-friend-i-ve-got-has-been-writing-mars-stories-it-was-pretty/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [For each human being there is an optimum ratio between change and stasis. Too little change, he grows bored. Too little stability, he panics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/for-each-human-being-there-is-an-optimum-ratio-between-change-and/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [Anything beats an expensive stack of paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/anything-beats-an-expensive-stack-of-paper/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“Humans," said the puppeteer, "should not be allowed to run loose. You will surely harm yourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/humans-said-the-puppeteer-should-not-be-allowed-to-run-loose-you-will/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) [Explore all 112 Larry Niven quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) ## More Billions quotes > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The universe is simmering down, like a giant stew left to cook for four billion years. Sooner or later we won’t be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bloch/the-universe-is-simmering-down-like-a-giant-stew-left-to-cook-for/) [Arthur Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bloch/) > [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [If Jesus is the Son of God in human flesh, He's one of a kind of the 13 billions of people who have ever lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/if-jesus-is-the-son-of-god-in-human-flesh-he-s-one-of-a-kind-of-the/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [Here we were talking about economic development, about investing billions of dollars in various programs, and I could see it wasn't billions of dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/here-we-were-talking-about-economic-development-about-investing/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [Everyone thinks they've won the Magical Belief Lottery. Everyone thinks they more or less have a handle on things, that they, as opposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/everyone-thinks-they-ve-won-the-magical-belief-lottery-everyone/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The technology involved in making anything invisible is so infinitely complex that nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-technology-involved-in-making-anything-invisible-is-so-infinitely/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [The idea of spontaneous generation of life in its present form is therefore highly improbable even to the scale of the billions of years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-prigogine/the-idea-of-spontaneous-generation-of-life-in-its-present-form-is/) [Ilya Prigogine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-prigogine/) > [To defy heredity is to defy billions of years, to defy the first cell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/to-defy-heredity-is-to-defy-billions-of-years-to-defy-the-first-cell/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ We have the ability to take him \[President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez\] out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/we-have-the-ability-to-take-him-president-of-venezuela-hugo-chavez/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [The buildings that were in question, they said in the same report, which was - actually, it wasn't even a bad story, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-buildings-that-were-in-question-they-said-in-the-same-report/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) [Browse all 1,864 Billions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There were timelines branching and branching, a mega-universe of universes, millions more every minute. Billions? Trillions? The universe split every time someone made a decision. Split, so that every decision ever made could go both ways. Every choice made by every man, woman, and child was reversed in the universe next door.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Larry Niven" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/there-were-timelines-branching-and-branching-a-mega-universe-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Billions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/there-were-timelines-branching-and-branching-a-mega-universe-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/larry-niven-4263_billions_there-were-timelines-branching-and-branc_3140362.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/larry-niven-4263_billions_there-were-timelines-branching-and-branc_3140362.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/larry-niven-4263_billions_there-were-timelines-branching-and-branc_3140362.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There were timelines branching and branching, a mega-universe of universes, millions more every minute…” — Larry Niven", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Larry Niven", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There were timelines branching and branching,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/there-were-timelines-branching-and-branching-a-mega-universe-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/there-were-timelines-branching-and-branching-a-mega-universe-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```