science

GURPS Infinite Worlds

GURPS Infinite Worlds is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand GURPS Infinite Worlds rather than just read about it. In short: GURPS Infinite Worlds is a supplement for the fourth edition of the GURPS role-playing game, published by Steve Jackson Games in 2005 and written by Kenneth Hite, Steve Jackson, and John M. Ford.

Key takeaways

GURPS Infinite Worlds belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect GURPS Infinite Worlds to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of GURPS Infinite Worlds from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

GURPS Infinite Worlds is a supplement for the fourth edition of the GURPS role-playing game, published by Steve Jackson Games in 2005 and written by Kenneth Hite, Steve Jackson, and John M. Ford. It expands upon the campaign setting of conflict between the Infinity Patrol, which is the dimension-jumping agency on "our" Earth, referred to as Homeline, and Centrum across a multiplicity of alternate history Earths.

Contents GURPS Infinite Worlds builds on the idea of player characters travelling from one world to another, even across genres, for the fourth edition of GURPS. GURPS Infinite Worlds is divided into eight chapters. Infinity Unlimited, describes the world of Homeline, one of two worlds of a parallel universe. Enemies Everywhen, describes Homeline's adversaries and hazards. Present at the Creation, describes how to create an alternate reality setting. Worlds Enough, describes 28 of the alternate worlds in the setting. ...And Time, deals with the many theories of Temporal Physics both real and fictional. Infinite characters, has setting rules and character templates Infinite Campaigns, covers the campaign's scope and direction. Alternate Infinities, provides alternatives to the Infinity setting.

Publication history GURPS Infinite Worlds was designed by Kenneth Hite, Steve Jackson, and John M. Ford, and published by Steve Jackson Games in 2005. This was presented in the Fourth Edition GURPS Basic Set (and originated in the third edition supplements GURPS Time Travel, GURPS Alternate Earths, and GURPS Alternate Earths II).

Reception GURPS Infinite Worlds won the 2005 Origins Award for Best Game Supplement.

See also List of GURPS books List of campaign settings

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with GURPS Infinite Worlds

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what GURPS Infinite Worlds claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to GURPS Infinite Worlds before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about GURPS Infinite Worlds ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of GURPS Infinite Worlds

In research: GURPS Infinite Worlds appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses GURPS Infinite Worlds in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: GURPS Infinite Worlds is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2005 fiction books, Alternate history role-playing games, American Civil War fiction, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for GURPS Infinite Worlds outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study GURPS Infinite Worlds in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what GURPS Infinite Worlds means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain GURPS Infinite Worlds out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is GURPS Infinite Worlds in simple terms?

GURPS Infinite Worlds is a supplement for the fourth edition of the GURPS role-playing game, published by Steve Jackson Games in 2005 and written by Kenneth Hite, Steve Jackson, and John M. Ford.

Why does GURPS Infinite Worlds matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study GURPS Infinite Worlds?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on GURPS Infinite Worlds.