If multiple universes exist, do they occupy space beyond our universe or do they occupy other "dimensions"?
467077
When two universes colide, the time difference and the size of each universe is so great that we should not feel any difference except a slight increase of radiation from other stars that were previously not in our universe. Universes should exist in the other dimensions as superstrings, which are smaller than quarks, have exibited ability to go to 16 other dimensions other than our own.
208603
Well, I don't know if you meant Universe's or a Gaalaxy, but assuming you meant Universes...\n\nThe word Universe is used to to describe the entire physical world. Meaning everything that is in space, every planet, star, comet, etc. is all part of the Universe.\n\nWhat some physicists have speculated, is that there may be "alternate universes". Universes that we cannot see because they are in different dimensions then we are. \n\nWe live in a four dimensional world. We have the three dimensions of 1. up an down, 2. right and left, 3.back and forth, and 4. time. \n\nIt is hard to comprehend extra dimensions, but some physicts have speculated that the extra dimensions may be incredibly small, and every time we move, we push them aside, but not into them.\n\nIt get's rather complicated, but this theory is used in some modern physics theories, such as String Theory.\n\nWe cannot access alternate universes even if they do exist, because we do not live in those dimensions. So as far as we know, the answer is no.\n\nYou also have to realize how incredibly vast space is. Astronomers use "light-years" to measure distance in space. 1 light-year is the distance light would travel in 1 earth year. That is a very, very large distance. So it is difficult to send spacecraft anywhere far even in our own universe.\n\nI am no expert though, and would reccomend searching wikipedia.org for answers.\n\nGood luck!
641539
there is no dimension to the universe, its infinite. the horizon never ends either it keeps moving with you. its around 25 miles away depending on where you are. Its as far as you can see because of the curvature of the earth.
44234
Well there are lots of things I do not completely understand about the structure of the universe. \n\nFor example, some current theories are that our 4 dimensional space-time continuum is just part of a higher dimensional entity, where some of the other dimensions are rolled up. However, the time dimension of our 4 dimensional environment is clearly much different than the spatial dimensions, since we appear to only be able to travel in one direction along the time dimension, although many of the equations capturing the physical laws of our universe are invariant when we replace time with -time.\n\nThe expansion that people refer to when they say that the universe is expanding refers to the entire 4 dimensional space-time continuum and possibly some  of the other dimensions as well. This gets very hard to visualize. What I do is think of us as ants living on the surface of a balloon that is being slowly inflated, so the dimensions of the balloon are increasing, and distant parts of the ant's space are becoming increasingly distant. However, this is probably a very limited analogy. \n\nTo get a better picture, you need to consult someone who has thought very hard and very carefully about what the universe is, or supposedly is.
334137
the universe is finite yet has no boundaries. it may be something like the two dimensional surface of a sphere.  nothing inside or outside the sphere exists for the two dimensional surface.  nothing exists outside the universe in this model.
999763
Beyond our universe is a multitude of other universes moving through a multiverse.
1101802
Refering to the four dimensions, I assume you mean three spatial dimensions, and one of time.  This is correct.\n\nString Theory, which is a possible candidate for the Ultimate Theory of the Universe, demands that there actually be ten spatical dimensions!  Four spatial dimensions is impossible for our brains to comprehend and picture let alone ten.  \n\nYou might be wondering why we aren't aware of the extra seven dimensions if they do exist.  The reason: they are curled.  Let me explain what that means.\n\nImagine looking at a clothesline.  From afar, it looks like the clothesline only has two dimenions: you can either go left or right.  Now when you move closer, you are able to see the third dimension of the line, which would allow say an ant to crawl around (up and down) as well as left and right.  You couldn't see that dimension from afar because it is curled up and very small.\n\nThis is the same principle with the other seven dimensions.  They are curled up, and can only be seen if we were able to probe to a small enough distance.  This distance is actually a millionth of a billionth of a billionth of a billionth of a centimeter!  That is way too small for us to be able to see today, and probably for quite some time.\n\nThere are some tricks though for getting a feel for 4 dimensions.  You consider an example that relates 2-D to 3-D, and then apply that to relating 3-D to 4-D.\n\nFor example: imagine a table top is a 2-D Universe, and on that Universe lives a being shaped like a square.  If you were above this 2-D plane and were to talk to the square, he would hear you, but not see you.  If you decided to show him a sphere, would have to pass the sphere through his 2-D Universe.  The only problem is, he wouldn't see the 3-D sphere.  He would see at first a point, followed by a succession of circles that kept growing until you reached the mid-point of the sphere, which would be the biggest circle.  Then as you continued to move the sphere through the plane, he would see a succession of circles that got smaller until he saw a point, and then nothing.  The point is, he would only see cross sections of the sphere, which are circles.  \n\nNow apply that to our Universe.  If a being were in the fourth dimension and tried to pass a hypersphere (a 4-D sphere) through our Universe, we would only be able to see cross sections of that hypersphere.  What would we see?  We would see a succession of 3-D spheres that kept growing, reached the largest size, and then shrunk back down to nothing!  So, the cross section of a 4-D sphere is a 3-D sphere.\n\nHere is another really cool example.  Going back to the square being, let's say he had a safe.  His safe would have four walls, in which one of the walls would act as a door.  It would basically be a hollow square.  Since there are four walls, a 2-D being in that Universe would have no chance at getting any money out of the safe without opening the door.  However, you being in the third dimension above the 2-D plane, could simply reach in and grab the money coming from the top. It would be a complete magic trick to the square.\n\nSimilarily, a 4-D being could reach in our 3-D safe reaching in from the fourth dimension, and take our money without opening the door!\n\nHope that helps.
349330
of course it is theoretical. It is like my answer to another question, what contains the Multiverse? "What's after that?" I had said. It is theoretical and we like to think that the universe has a finite space and something holds our universe with another finite space. We like to think this way because that's the extent of our view and understanding. We live in the 3rd dimension and we can only understand physical things in the third-dimension. We can only have so much understanding on our universe that everything about it has to be based on theories. Even the fact that the 4th dimension is time is not really a fact, but still a theory because we can't think in that dimension. We haven't been through the 4th dimension (i know the theory is that we're going through it in one direction but it still is a theory). Our understanding of our own universe is very limited because we live in a finite world.\n\nAnd it doesn't answer your question, i know. But I like to think of the multiple universes that you're talking about as the Alternate Universe theory where something doesn't happen in this Universe, it happens in another and if it is this case, there is almost infinite number of them. And the wormhole thing works with Einstein's theory of Relativity as a Super Massive Black Hole is strong enough that it bends the space-time continuum so much that it will make an advanced dimensional hole in another (if not all) universe. I devised an un supported theory that that hole created by the black hole is actually a 6th dimension because it disappears as matter from the universe then exist in another. A total violation of the law conservation of matter unless it actually goes through a wormhole, which would go with the theory of relativity AND conserves matter. But it still is a theory that I accept.\n\nPS Penguins!!!
818029
I am going to put a slightly spin on this question. I DO believe that there are parallel universes. There are at least as many universes as there are people and possibly as many universes as there are living things. We each experience a different universe, but they all exist at the same time. Our "Universe" is what we experience (see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and any other undocumented sense). THAT is where parallel universes come into their own, and THAT is where relativity comes into play. My universe starts with me where I am and ends "out there somewhere". I will never get to experience the end, because wherever I am will always be the start of my universe.
990249
The universe may very well be expanding into nothing. You see, we are used to thinking of expansion in terms of objects expanding into space (3D space) but the universe is space.\n\nThere is really no other way to explain it and it's something you might just have to accept though it's hard to envision.\n\nAnother explaination is that the universe may actually exist in a higher dimension (for example, 2D exists within 3D). According to membrane theory, the universe may have resulted from the collision of two "membranes" in a higher dimention and mass is the overlapping of those membranes.\n\nBut that is just one of the many possabilities.
1134654
We observe four dimensions everyday, three spatial and time.\nTime is called a dimension because it makes mathematical sense to do so. \nBut...theories such as string theory predict that the space we live in has in fact many more dimensions (frequently 10, 11 or 26), but that the universe measured along these additional dimensions is subatomic in size. As a result, we perceive only the three spatial dimensions that have macroscopic size.\n\nThis is not so strange as it sounds, which I'll show with an example. Imagine you are in an airplane, flying over sea. Seen from a height, the sea looks flat, two-dimensional. But when the plane looses height we start to perceive the waves, that move in a third direction we could see before.\n\nThe universe could be the same. Four macroscopic dimensions and a few more, hidden ones. We can only perceive them for instance, by the small effects their existence might have on subatomic particles.\n\nSerious enough?\nThe reference is a general article on the mathematical notion of dimensions, that contains links.
313515
The universe and space aren't the same thing. The universe was CREATED in space. Before the creation of the universe, it was just space. The universe now occupies space, and yes the universe is not infinite and according to scientists, the Big Crunch theory is the end of the our universe. However, space will still exist because the universe and space aren't the same thing.
1067957
No matter how many 'experts' around here claim that there are alternate universes or other dimensions or a brick wall, nobody--repeat NOBODY--really knows. Tons of theories, but not one single shred of evidence to support any of them.\n\nScientific research has repeatedly indicated that our universe is infinite in scope, and that it will expand forever although its contents (mass and energy) will very, very gradually fade away to nothing.\n\nBefore our universe began, and right now, there's probably nothing else but an absolute and infinite void totally without energy, mass, spacetime, dimensions or anything else.
1092455
Yes.  Infinity goes in both directions.  Space is space, large or small.  IMHO  ;-)
65663
No.\nThe Universe is a physical object.  It has a definite size and shape.  The Universe is so big that we do not know its limits.  Our ability to comprehend is not the problem, our technology is.  If we had the right equipment, we could see to the end of the Universe and mesure its size and shape.
83422
Scientist belive there are several dimesions.  Remember dimensions are based on measurement.  Length width height, 3 dimesions so we are in the third dimension.  A showdow for example only has length and width so it is the 2nd dimseion.  We cannot comprehend other demensions because we live in a 3d world where only LWH exist.  It is like asking your shadow what is tall, he would know because he lives in the 2nd demsiond.  So there are other dimensions yes and we can dicipher them though the wonders of mathmatics and physics.\n\nGravity works likes a bowling ball on a bed.  Think of the bed as the fabric of space.  If you put a tennis ball on the bed it would "gravitate" towards the bowling ball.  This is the theory of realtivity.  A worm hole forms when a really heavy mass punches through that space fabric.  If you had a million pound bowling ball it would go right though the bed.  The same things happens in space that heavy mass punches right though to the other side forming a worm hole.
31705
The best guess today: no.\n\nIn modern cosmology the topology of the universe appears to be open. "Topology" meaning the shape, although in the case of the universe to observe the shape we would have to exist in 4 spatial dimensions. Since we're stuck in 3-dimensions we have to get by on analogies.\n\nThe topology or shape of the universe is something which comes out of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. It depends primarily on the distribution of mass and energy in the universe. If the amount of mass-energy is more than a certain critical value then the universe would be "closed." Basically the mass would curve space-time back onto itself. In a closed universe you could fly off in the direction of the north pole and (after about 25 billion years) and circle the universe to land on the south pole.\n\nIf the amount of mass in the universe is less than this critical value then the topology of the universe is a bit more complex, but, to answer your question space would be infinite.\n\nBased on what we know today that is the case, space is infinite.\n\nHowever, we cannot see an infinite universe. When we see things that are farther away we also see them from deeped in the past. A galaxy we see that is 10 billion light years distant is actually a view of what the galaxy looked like 10 billion years in the past.\n\nWhen we look farther in space, and thus earlier in the history of the universe, we eventually run into the microwave background. For the first 10,000 years or so after the Big Bang the universe was so dense that it wasn't yet transparent. When the density dropped enough to be transparent then some of the light could escape for us to detect much later.\n\nHowever, while the universe is thought to be about 13 billion years old, we can actually see out a bit farther than that, I think around 20 billion light years, because the universe is expanding.\n\nWhat this boils down to is that there is a sort of "wall" beyond which we can't see. This wall corresponds to a time soon after the Big Bang. However, studies of the total mass-energy within the universe strongly suggest that it has an open topology - that it is infinite.\n\n(Of course it is possible that this infinity will be refined when we have a better theory of how Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity play togther. String Theory is one way to combine these two.)