CERN, the research group that discovered the Higgs-Boson, or ‘god particle,’ is now preparing to search for parallel universes. In Physics Letters B, Ahmed Ali, Mir Faizal, and Mohammed Khalil have proposed that the absence of miniature black holes at the Large Hadron Collider implies the existence of extra-dimensional parallel universes.

Switzerland’s Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest particle accelerator, is also the single largest machine in the world. When it was first made, it was thought that the energy released by particles crashing into one-another at near the speed of light would create small black holes. Yet, to date, none have been found. Ali et al. believe that this is due to an effect called “Gravity’s Rainbow,” whereby gravity can flow across dimensions, altering the threshold energy needed to create a singularity.

Says Mir Faizal to Phys.org, “As gravity can flow out of our universe into the extra dimensions, such a model can be tested by the detection of mini black holes at the LHC. We have calculated the energy at which we expect to detect these mini black holes in gravity’s rainbow [a new theory]. If we do detect mini black holes at this energy, then we will know that both gravity’s rainbow and extra dimensions are correct.” That is, if the LHC can create black holes at certain predicted energy levels, gravity is flowing out of our universe and into another.

But Faizal is quick to point out that the term ‘parallel universes’ (their word choice) does not refer to multiverse theory – the idea that there exist infinite other realities of infinite possibilities – but to higher dimensions of space and time.

“Normally, when people think of the multiverse, they think of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, where every possibility is actualized,” Faizal told Phys.org. “This cannot be tested and so it is philosophy and not science. This is not what we mean by parallel universes. What we mean is real universes in extra dimensions.“

Let’s put that in layman’s terms. Our reality is four-dimensional: we can both perceive and move through the spatial dimensions length, width, and depth. These account for the first three dimensions. The fourth dimension, time, is perceivable to us, but only runs in one direction. Hence, we live in a world of four dimensions. Ali, Faizal, and Khalil’s theory is based upon string-theory, the prevailing form of which posits that reality is not four-dimensional, but eleven-dimensional. Their paper claims that we can go so far as to find many of these higher dimensions. From the study itself: “Furthermore, we demonstrate that it is possible for black holes in six (and higher) dimensions to be produced at energy scales that will be accessible in the near future.”

What exactly would the sixth dimension look like? According to Phys.org, “In the sixth, we would see a plane of possible worlds, where we could compare and position all the possible universes that start with the same initial conditions as this one (i.e. the Big Bang). In theory, if you could master the fifth and sixth dimension, you could travel back in time or go to different futures.”