Moving in Stereo: Parallel Universes

Abstract

The notion that there are multiple self-contained universes, or alternate realities, coexisting simultaneously with our own, dates back centuries. The terms “infinite worlds,” “multiple universes,” “countless universes,” and “infinite universes,” can be found in Hindu Puranic literature, Buddhist texts, even in Kabbalah. For that matter, Christian Heaven and Hell can be considered different planes of existence that coexist simultaneously with ours.

I was good at math and science, and i got lots of degrees in lots of things, but in a parallel universe, i probably became a chef.

Nathan Myhrvold, Former CTO of Microsoft, Author of Modernist Cuisine

The most watched programme on the BBC, after the news, is probably Doctor Who. What has happened is that science fiction has been subsumed into modern literature. There are grandparents out there who speak Klingon, who are quite capable of holding down a job. No one would think twice now about a parallel universe.

Sir Terry Pratchett, Author

The Universe forces those who live in it to understand it. Those creatures who find everyday experience a muddled jumble of events with no predictability, no regularity, are in grave peril. The Universe belongs to those who, at least to some degree, have figured it out.

Carl Sagan, Planetary Scientist