I faced a similar problem in explaining certain aspects of theoretical physics (String Theory, Membrane Theory, the Multiverse, etc.) so I used a scene in which dialog between an astrophysicist and some curious laymen grossly simplified the concepts. It was obviously important to keep it relatively simple - and of course, one has considerable leeway with fiction.
Here's an excerpt from the scene (OLD BLOOD; Domaine Delafaire, CH 9). The astrophysicist offering the explanation is Dr. Issac "Zack" Johnson...
[FONT="]“Is another reality possible?” Millie asked.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Theoretical physics says ‘yes’ – but I’ll need to give you a little background… One of my mentors, Dr. Felix Garibaldi, was involved in reviewing an early draft of the ‘Old Blood’ research. As an astrophysicist he had always held a notion, however whimsical, that some ‘vanished civilizations’ may have simply departed our universe… Debatable phenomena like the Bermuda Triangle and the Dragon’s Triangle had never ceased to fascinate him. [/FONT]
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“At the time, a physicist named John Wheeler coined the term ‘black hole’ to describe a singularity so dense that even light could not escape – of course, Stephen Hawking would later prove that certain radiation did escape… oops, now I digress. [/FONT]
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“Anyway, Dr. G… uh, please forgive me, but that’s what I called him… and quite a few physicists were intrigued by the possibility that black holes were gateways of a sort to another universe. Later study tended to disabuse them of that notion as surviving the trip was quite problematic. The point is that multiple universe theories are quite common in physics. And if we were to further assume that travel between them might be theoretically possible, then how to get there, and back - now that’s the problem.[/FONT]
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“Without going into a complete physics lesson, just let me say that Dr. G, like most physicists, was fascinated with Einstein’s unfinished ‘theory of everything’ – the Holy Grail of physics, the explanation for everything. Sadly, we’re not there yet, but we like to think we’re close. Of course, the 800-pound gorilla in the room is the moment of origin of our universe – the singularity, the big bang. Any theory of everything must be able to explain that… Oh, ‘sorry, I’m getting off point again. [/FONT]
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“There is another theory, formulated by Dr. Richard Feynman, that our universe has more than a single history; multiple histories suggest multiple realities, and it would follow – multiple futures. I know that this sounds confusing, but to a physicist, it makes sense – trust me. By the way, Dr. Feynman won the Nobel, albeit shared, in 1965 for his work in quantum electrodynamics, which led to a new way of thinking about quantum mechanics.”[/FONT]
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Noting that his audience was beginning to take on that glassy-eyed 1000 yard stare, Zack said, “Oh, quantum theory - I’m getting too deep, aren’t I?”[/FONT]
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Four heads nodded as one, while Marie, Madeline and Armand snickered.[/FONT]
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“Okay, I’ll cut to the chase… Dr. G was an early proponent of what would become known as ‘string theory’ which holds that matter, the basic objects of our universe, are one-dimensional strings that can vibrate at specific frequencies. He sensed a great potential and struggled with this concept for years. Unfortunately he did not live to see the inherent issues resolved. As one of his students, I endeavored to finish his work. Please bear with me for a moment, as I explain – I promise it will be relatively painless. [/FONT]
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“Most physicists now accept that there are multiple dimensions, perhaps eleven, of space, of time, and even more of mathematical certainty - some of which are infinitesimally small – and, of course, gravity. They further agree that there are essentially five ‘string theories’. When the eleven dimensions, to include gravity, and the five ‘string theories’ are combined in a web of equitable relationships, the results suggest an overall united framework of a single theory called ‘Membrane Theory’, or ‘Brane theory, or ‘M-theory’. M-theory strongly suggests that multiple universes are possible, perhaps even probable – the Multiverse. [/FONT]
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“Of course, the challenge is in finding what will be accepted as tangible proof. And in that regard, there have been some promising developments at research facilities like LIGO… Oh, ‘sorry – the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in Livingston, down in South Louisiana - there’s another such facility in Hanford, Washington. If such findings can be corroborated, for example by the scientists who seem to have found the Higgs Boson at the Large Hadron Collider in Cern, Switzerland, we may be much closer to some amazing revelations… I’m sorry – I’m not really at liberty to get into any details – much of the relevant data is considered classified for the present. I’m afraid I could jeopardize my clearance.” [/FONT]
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“That’s okay – I, for one, wouldn’t understand the details anyway,” Ellen assured the chagrined astrophysicist. “Let’s get back to the good part – now, assuming other universes exist, how would one go there – and hopefully, return?” [/FONT]
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“Now that’s the real question,” mused Zack, mildly relieved, as he swirled the untouched wine in his glass, “isn’t it? We are in an area of speculation, but it has been suggested that the ‘membrane’ that is our universe touches other ‘membranes’ – other universes - at various locations and times. Try to think of the membrane as a cylindrical curve, in fact, think of it as a torus – a donut shape, but somewhat lumpy. Imagine it in a bag with other donuts, making contact here and there as this cosmic bag is jostled about by the inherent expansion of these universes. If the collision is sufficiently violent, a great deal of energy might be released – perhaps a viable explanation for the singularity, the big bang – and the birth of a new universe. On the other hand, membrane contact might be quite gentle or sticky – they might softly bounce or adhere - perhaps even be drawn to each other under the right circumstances. At each point of contact, it may be possible that matter and/or energy could be passed from one to another. This suggests that travel from one ‘membrane’ to another - from one universe to another - is possible..."
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[FONT="](This is one way to do it that worked for me... Just keep it as simple as your plot allows. Best of Luck!)
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