The One-Electron Universe: The Hypothesis That All Electrons Are One

The one-electron universe is a theoretical hypothesis in physics suggesting that all electrons in the universe are actually a single electron moving back and forth through time. The idea was proposed by physicist John Wheeler in a 1940 phone call to Richard Feynman, who later referenced it in his Nobel Prize lecture. Under this theory, electrons traveling forward in time appear as electrons, while those moving backward in time appear as positrons. Although the concept is scientifically intriguing, it has notable problems, including the observed imbalance between electrons and positrons in the universe. The hypothesis remains a thought-provoking but largely speculative idea in theoretical physics.