One of the three basic premises of modern science, as I see it, is that the "laws of nature" are constant over space.

What if they aren't?  What if the "laws" we observe here are an effect of a very specific set of features, say, of our galaxy?

Can you imagine that?  Can you conceive that another galaxy, just "over there", has a different speed of light?  Or that "their" atoms are not held together by electromagnetic force, but something else?

Take a moment to fully believe this.  Try to come up with at least 3 more ways in which it could be different, and yet that we'd be unable to perceive from here.

Did it?

No seriously, did you really do it?  Did you really believe it, at least with a part of your mind?

Now tell me this: what would happen if "your" galaxy were to "collide" with the Milky Way?

(well ok, this is "daily" in some alternate universe)

In our universe, the spatial dimensions intersect at a 90 degree angle.  If that doesn't immediately make sense to you, think about it for a moment.  A line has one dimension; a plane has two.  If you trace lines that "define" those two dimensions, they'll have a 90 degree angle.  OK?  Follow?

From this angle, flow a huge number of properties.  The angles that form regular polygons, for example.

Can you imagine an universe where dimensions cross in a different angle?  How does that work?

Mr. Mxyzptlk claims to be "from the 5th dimension"; anyone with a scientific background knows this doesn't make sense, though.  Maybe what he means is that he's from an universe where dimensions cross at a 60 degree angle?  And does this paragraph even make sense?

(I'll be posting those more or less every day, until I grow tired of the idea.)

MEotD: can you conceive an universe with a different value of pi?  How does that work?