• Question: How likely do you think it is that there are parallel universes and how many do you think there are?

    Asked by benjones to Dave, David, Jack on 27 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: David Freeborn

      David Freeborn answered on 27 Jun 2013:

      Hi benjones,

      It’s very hard to predict how likely, because we don’t have any experimental evidence. All we know for sure is this universe exists. It’s very hard to make predictions from just one data point!

      There are lots of theories that do predict other Universes. There might be some evidence that continuous inflation theory might be true. If that’s true, new Universe’s with slightly different laws of physics are always popping into and out of existence. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if any evidence for that mounts up!

    • Photo: Jack Miller

      Jack Miller answered on 27 Jun 2013:

      Hi Benjones,

      As David says, this is a great question, but one that’s very hard to answer! In order to make anything other than wild speculation, we have to think where the presence of parallel universes could have any measurable impact on something in our one. The main places that they could do that are, frankly, in areas of physics where we don’t know already that they don’t. (I think that argument makes sense). This brings to mind a few places: the early universe, near the big bang, and perhaps by affecting, in some small way, the properties of nature on the smallest scale. It’s not an area I personally know much about, but it’s really fun to ask these questions!

      — J

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