Should the search for extraterrestrial life in the universe come up empty-handed, it might be worth checking in on a neighboring universe instead.
According to a pair of studies in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, there’s a fair chance that life-fostering planets could exist in a parallel universe.
The notion that the universe is just one of many, perhaps infinite, other universes is known as the multiverse theory.
Experts have previously thought that such parallel universes if they exist, would have to meet a stringent set of criteria to allow for the formation of stars, galaxies, and life-fostering planets like those seen in our universe.
Researchers ran a massive computer simulation in the new study to build new universes under various starting conditions. They found that life conditions might be a little broader than previously thought.