Extraterrestrial (microbial) life found in meteorite

reply to post by blahxd67

Thank you for the clarification. So, lemme make sure I have this correct. You're saying, the Universe doesn't expand into anything?

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

Originally posted by Astyanax
In multiverse models, a multiplicity of universes do not exist side by side in a physical spacetime. They exist in a mathematical space. Such a 'space' is purely abstract: it refers to the range of possible values that can be taken by a variable (or a function that depends on a set of variables). Mathematicians call this a configuration space.

The configuration space in a multiverse model is the range of all possible values of the key variables or functions that define a given universe. One such 'variable' is the gravitational constant, which specifies how strongly massive bodies in a universe are attracted to one another. Another is the speed of light, c. In a multiverse model, different universes exist in which these 'constants' have different values, and each different set of values creates a universe with different properties. These different universes don't exist side by side with each other in some kind of 3D space or 4D spacetime; the real situation is nothing like that at all. It is completely beyond human ability to visualise, or even to describe except in mathematical terms.

And as far as each universe is concerned, the others simply don't exist.

Is this an absolute fact, or just your understanding of the multiverse? Because I believe that universes in the multiverse exist in real 3D space, like ping pong balls. The great cold spot in the Cosmic Microwave Background may be the aftermath of a collision with another universe, or a place where another universe grew out of ours.

In the inflationary model of the multiverse, there's the endless and eternally expanding space. In places where that expansion ends, a bubble universe appears. The appearance of a universe (a Big Bang) can be also connected to an area of "false vacuum" decaying to a lower energy state.

So I wouldn't be as categorical as you when defining what the multiverse is. We're dealing with pure hypotheses.

All I have to say is. " cometary panspermia" and that little guy..........

Those naughty comets.

reply to post by wildespace

Is this an absolute fact, or just your understanding of the multiverse?

I am following terminology, originally proposed by Max Tegmark, that I understand is generally accepted among physicists. See here for more information.

Because I believe that universes in the multiverse exist in real 3D space, like ping pong balls.

That would be better described as multiple inflation events within a single space or spacetime.

The great cold spot in the Cosmic Microwave Background may be the aftermath of a collision with another universe, or a place where another universe grew out of ours.

It could be a great many things, including a data artefact. If it is the aftermath of a collision, however, this would have taken place in a multidimensional (eleven or more dimensions) brane space, not in ordinary 4D space-time. It's what you might call a string-driven thing.

So I wouldn't be as categorical as you when defining what the multiverse is. We're dealing with pure hypotheses.

I was trying to make clear a counter-intuitive physical idea to someone who appeared to be struggling to visualise it. I believe my post achieved its aim – though now you've probably gone and confused everybody all over again.