Multiverse & Infinity & Sci-Fi

I just read an interesting article in Scientific American. Here is the link:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-multiverse-may-be-the-most-dangerous-idea-in-physics/

After I read this and participated in a couple of discussions on some web-sites my imagination kicked into high gear and I decided to capture some random thoughts and comments on how the concept of multiverses could be applied within a sci-fi story.

First off, and simply explained, a multiverse is a physics theory that isn’t precluded by any current information including Einstein’s theories. The concept is that there are an infinite number of dimensions as well as an infinite number of Universes. The concept of infinity is hard for any of us to understand, after all unlimited or limitless is a big concept.

As it relates to Sci-Fi I tried to imagine how we could interact with such a concept. First off I’m not using infinity and randomness in the same concept. I’m assuming some order or set of patterns within the term infinity. After all just because it is infinite, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have some order to it.

Ok working with my thought of order within infinity, I tried to imagine how it would work. First off I doubt any physical terms can be used to describe a dimension ‘next to you’. That concept won’t work. But I think that we could assume that an infinite universe might have a pattern. A group of dimensions that share some common element and might be associated in some way so you might be able to move within a set of dimensions that have similarities.

Those ‘families’ of dimension might be related through energy level, or ME? Wow, maybe I am connected to each of the dimensions that I’m in. Maybe each of us are connected to a set of dimensions that each of us populate. So I might not be able to go to one of your dimensions if you’re not in mine…hummmm food for thought.

Now how does all of this relate to something like time travel? Maybe the difficulty isn’t travelling through time, maybe the difficulty is finding your way back? Again if you travel from one dimension to another; which incidentally allows you to solve the grandfather problem, maybe it’s too difficult to find your way back to your dimension. By going back in time and killing your grandfather, maybe you’ll be trapped trying to find your dimension. After all if there are an infinite number of dimensions than how do you find your way back to where you started?

The answer here is mapping. If we are able to move into another dimension, then we have to find a way to map them and hope their addresses don’t change. Ok if we can map them, then we only have an infinite number of addresses to check out so we can find someplace interesting; ya right! Most likely a large number of the infinite set of dimensions are pretty ugly for us weak humans. If we assume 1% of the dimensions are suitable for us (Which is an absurd assumption)? Waite a minute we can’t assume 1% of infinity; so we have to assume a ratio. A percentage of a large number doesn’t change when you use a larger number and after all infinity is the largest number possible. Said in another way if we assume that 1 out of X dimensions is a dimension that we might be interested in then we still have a long way to go.

If we had enough time to search through dimensions then at some point we might a family of dimensions that we find suitable. Then we just explore that small sub-set of the possible dimensions. And as I suggested before; perhaps I can only explore those dimensions that I exist in and likewise you might be able to explore only those that you exist in? Maybe we can find a sub-set of dimensions that we both exist in?

Enough of this; I’m getting a headache. Let’s break this down to something simple. In my opinion the concept of multiverse could allow time travel. If so the problem becomes tracking, following and finding suitable dimensions; which might be the ultimate challenge.

In summary; if there are an infinite number of Ray Jay Perreault’s writing this article about infinity then I can guarantee that there is an infinity +1 number of people trying to understand it.