LogFAQs > #966028808

There's a concept in classical statistical physics called Poincare's Theorum.

Think of the universe as an analog TV that is turned to nothing but TV snow (random static). The smallest physical measure would be a pixel. The smallest measure of time would be how long the pattern of snow on the monitor would change. The only thing guiding this is the rules of how a TV works (the chord has to be plugged in, nothing can be broadcast on it, etc.)

Poincare's Theorum would state that if you wait long enough, the randomly TV snow would change in a period of time in such a way that every TV show ever made would be broadcast. Now apply this to the universe.

The TV snow is vacuum energy and the constant crackling quantum foam of virtual particles, some of which become real particles. The universe is finite like the TV screen, but it will possibly have an infinite future. That means given enough time, every configuration of the universe will be realized and in every order possible that the law of physics will allow.

It is absolutely inevitable that not only will every version of the universe eventually exist, it will also repeat an infinite number of times. The only thing limiting it is if the law of physics allow it.

BTW the number of states possible in the observable universe if expansion was temporarily frozen has been calculated to approximately:
logBASE2 (e)10^123 bits.