Barnard-Stokes heresy

From Srafopedia

The Barnard-Stokes heresy was put forward by Barnard and Stokes in Lyra's world. It claims to prove that there are more than the three worlds accepted by the church, i.e. Heaven, Hell and their own world. Naturally, the church opposed this, silencing the two scientists.

Some scholars, like the Cassington Scholar, believe that there are sound mathematical arguments for their theory concerning other worlds. But no one thought it was possible to cross from one universe to another, until Lord Asriel actually did it.

Every universe is a result of possibility at the level of elementary particles. There are several possibilities, if one possibilty really happens, then the other ones collapse in this world. Then the worlds split apart and other worlds come into being, on which the other possibilities do happen.

Obviously, the theory was proved by the events of His Dark Materials, but what happened to Barnard and Stokes is never mentioned.