Suppose we start with the simple assumption that space and time are infinite.

Given some unlikely event- say that the proverbial roomful of monkeys banging away at a typewriter have a slim chance of typing out Romeo and Juliet…still with all of that infinite space and time in which to bang, it could happen. In fact, it does happen.

Slim chances are still chances.

Given all the time and space in the universe, a million to one shot will eventually shoot.

This is the basis for multiple dimensions. There are, in fact, 4 different flavors of multiple dimensions.

Flavor one: Scientists have theorized that somewhere, in this physical universe, out there is an earth just like this one, surrounded by eight planets, just like this one, and that on it is a you, just like this one. But that you may at this moment be turning off the radio and opting to do something else, while you, curious creature that you are, await the end of this story.

The reason you don’t see this parallel universe, is that it’s tremendously far away. There are millions of permutations, each far far away. So the chances of you running into your doppelganger is nil. (But then again, what did we say about chances?)

That’s flavor 1 – infinite space, parallel universes all in one.

Flavor 2 – has infinite space and infinitely varied time, and perhaps changeable physics. This theory says, okay, Bang! The universe begins to expand. But like eddys in water, there might be hot and cold spots. If the universe all expanded uniformly, time/space has a shot at uniformity too…but with this notion of eddys- actually “postinflation bubbles’, time would behave differently. (Remember discussions about the speed of light and relative time- well there you go!) In these bubbles, the initial conditions of the parallel universes, the very primordial soups, would be different. So not only do we have parallel universes, we have totally different pockets of alien physics. Maybe your doppelganger breathes methane and eats acid, has tentacles and does a mean eight-legged tango.

Flavor 3 – I do so want to explain this clearly to you, but I cannot because it assumes an understanding of quantum physics which I’ve been trying to wrap my head around now for 20 years. Shroedinger’s cat? The notion that thing are happening infinitely in the here and now, but that existence is based upon what you’ve observed, but that it does not necessarily connote the only reality – ow. It just hurts. It makes my head hurt. So that said- flavor 3, multidimensions, right here. Same spatial plane somewhere you can’t see. There. Listen to Adam Frank- he’ll explain it better.

Flavor 4 is entirely theoretical. We live in a world of 4 dimensions- the three dimensions of x, y, and z to locate position, and the fourth dimension of time. That can be represented mathematically. Some scientists posit that any mathematical formula represents some reality. Infinite variations on formulas suggest multiple dimensions beyond our puny 4 dimensional imaginings.

So there are Multiple dimensions.--lots of them.

I’d like think that in some alternate dimension, during my sophomore year of high school, I’d had a clue that Mike Simpson had asked me on a date – and that alternate me went. Or that several other times in the sad and promiscuous 80’s I’d said “no” more often to several other guys- and you can guess who you are.

It is an intriguing notion.

Still, My hope is that there are many different varied happy endings for us all.