How Many Universes Are There?

What lies beyond our Universe?

Whilst some may ask 'are we alone in the universe?' others are now wondering 'are we alone in the multiverse?'

TEDEd ponders the baffling implication that there may be an infinite number of universes outside of our own. What's more, these universes may pop in and out of existence at a seconds notice and may be governed by completely different types of physics than our own.

Whether any of these additional universes could support life is just one of the many uncertainties that surrounds this area of physics, which straddles the fields of quantum mechanics, string theory and philosophy.

However, if there are an infinite number of universes out there, it is likely that many of these would be only subtly different from of our own, supporting alternate realities in which our lives take very different paths. Physics is cool.

Find out more about the multiverse theory from Philosopher of Physics David Wallace who looks at some of the baffling paradoxes it throws up.