Researchers came to the startling conclusion while studying dark energy, a mysterious "force" that is accelerating the expansion of the universe.

Current theories suggest our universe contains the 'perfect' amount of dark energy to sustain life, the Daily Mail reports.

Any more or less of it would tear apart the fabric of reality and stop planets and stars from forming.

But a new study suggests this limit is far more generous than experts once thought, meaning that the conditions needed to sustain existence may not be that rare.

If our universe is one of many versions of the cosmos - a concept known as the "multiverse" - then life could be common throughout it, they say.

Using simulations of the cosmos, researchers led by Durham University found life is still possible with far more dark energy than is present in our universe.

This opens up the prospect that life could be possible throughout a wider range of other universes, if they exist, the researchers said.