Humankind has long been fascinated with the idea of parallel dimensions, the theory being that alongside our own universe lie virtually identical universes in which people just like us live out their lives (and perhaps fantasize about parallel dimensions). The popular notion is that in a parallel dimension, some different decision was made, some random event occurred differently, or that some element in the composition of the Earth is more common-and, as a result, the universe is different to some degree or another. What if Wellington lost the Battle of Waterloo? What if the cataclysm that wiped out the dinosaurs never happened? What if Hitler conquered the world?
Of course, it could all be considerably more subtle than all that; perhaps all humans have gray eyes, and that's the only difference. The point is that in
alternate realities, life could be different. Without ever leaving their home world, dimensional explorers could face challenges every bit as daunting as the challenges faced by space explorers.