In the very beginning was the void. Nothing existed; neither mass nor energy, linear nor angular momentum, electrical charge nor electromagnetic field. And then a fluctuation in the void created dimensions; time and space propagating into our universe.
- Our Universe is characterised by time that is homogeneous so that energy is conserved.
- And the space in which we live is homogeneous so that momentum is conserved and also isotropic so that angular momentum is conserved.
If these characteristics have been unchanged throughout the history of the Universe then our existence has neither energy, nor momentum, nor angular momentum.
The behaviour of our Universe is ruled by fundamental constants that have values finely balanced to enable our existence. These balances are perceived to be so unlikely that innumerable anthropic principles have been proposed to explain our precarious existence. Yet we do not wonder at the existence of a fragile flower clinging to life on a mountain rockface. Nor are we particularly surprised when worms are observed living in temperatures of 50C around deep-sea vents at the bottom of the Pacific.
Yet how constant are these 'fundamental constants'? Evidence is emerging that at least some of them are not quite so constant. The proton-electron mass ratio may have decreased by 0.002% in the past 12 billion years. And some claim that the fine structure constant is changing.
What if the hidden dimensions that are postulated to describe our Universe are not 'curled up'? What if fundamental constants define a region in the seven hidden dimensions where our Universe exists? No anthropic principle need be invoked because our Universe is simply a localised four-dimensional existence in an eleven-dimensional 'Omniverse'. If fundamental constants were shown to be not constant then this would be an indication that our Universe is moving around in the seven hidden dimensions.
Such thoughts raise the intriguing prospect that other universes capable of supporting life forms might exist elsewhere in the Omniverse. They are unlikely to bear even the remotest resemblance to our Universe but there might be circumstances in which their influence could propogate through the Omniverse to affect our existence.
