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PHVSICS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
home planet, Krypton, never blew up, or Superman finally reveals his
true identity as mild-mannered Clark Rent, or he marries Lois Lane and
has superkids. But are parallel universes just the domain of Twilight
Zone reruns, or do they have a basis in modern physics?
Throughout history going back to almost all ancient societies, people have believed in other planes of existence, the homes of the gods or
ghosts. The Church believes in heaven, hell, and purgatory. The Buddhists have Nirvana and different states of consciousness. And the Hindus have thousands of planes of existence.
Christian theologians, at a loss to explain where heaven might be
located, have often speculated that perhaps God lives in a higher dimensional plane. Surprisingly, if higher dimensions did exist, many of
the properties ascribed to the gods might become possible. A being in
a higher dimension might be able to disappear and reappear at will or
walk through walls-powers usually ascribed to deities.
Recently the idea of parallel universes has become one of the most
hotly debated topics in theoretical physics. There are, in fact, several
types of parallel universes that force us to reconsider what we mean
by what is "real." What is at stake in this debate about various parallel
universes is nothing less than the meaning of reality itself.
There are at least three types of parallel universes that are intensely discussed in the scientific literature:
a. hyperspace, or higher dimensions,
b. the multiverse, and
c. quantum parallel universes.
HYPERSPACE
The parallel universe that has been the subject of the longest historical debate is one of higher dimensions. The fact that we live in three
dimensions (length, width, height) is common sense. No matter how
we move an object in space, all positions can be described by these
three coordinates. In fact, with these three numbers we can locate any
PHVSICS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
home planet, Krypton, never blew up, or Superman finally reveals his
true identity as mild-mannered Clark Rent, or he marries Lois Lane and
has superkids. But are parallel universes just the domain of Twilight
Zone reruns, or do they have a basis in modern physics?
Throughout history going back to almost all ancient societies, people have believed in other planes of existence, the homes of the gods or
ghosts. The Church believes in heaven, hell, and purgatory. The Buddhists have Nirvana and different states of consciousness. And the Hindus have thousands of planes of existence.
Christian theologians, at a loss to explain where heaven might be
located, have often speculated that perhaps God lives in a higher dimensional plane. Surprisingly, if higher dimensions did exist, many of
the properties ascribed to the gods might become possible. A being in
a higher dimension might be able to disappear and reappear at will or
walk through walls-powers usually ascribed to deities.
Recently the idea of parallel universes has become one of the most
hotly debated topics in theoretical physics. There are, in fact, several
types of parallel universes that force us to reconsider what we mean
by what is "real." What is at stake in this debate about various parallel
universes is nothing less than the meaning of reality itself.
There are at least three types of parallel universes that are intensely discussed in the scientific literature:
a. hyperspace, or higher dimensions,
b. the multiverse, and
c. quantum parallel universes.
HYPERSPACE
The parallel universe that has been the subject of the longest historical debate is one of higher dimensions. The fact that we live in three
dimensions (length, width, height) is common sense. No matter how
we move an object in space, all positions can be described by these
three coordinates. In fact, with these three numbers we can locate any