Martin Rees forecasts the future

I hope that in 50 years we will know the answer to this challenging question: are the laws of physics unique and was our big bang the only one? Theoretical horizons have recently expanded astonishingly. According to some speculations the number of distinct varieties of space – each the arena for a universe with its own laws – could exceed the total number of atoms in all the galaxies we see. Most space-times would be sterile or stillborn, but among this cornucopia there could still be immense numbers that allow big bangs that “fly” – allowing the emergence of the rich complexity that leads to atoms,…