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FrozenGate by Avery

Is the universe infinite or finite?

StridAst said:
Actually, I'm pretty certain that virtually all theorys of the big bang absolutely require that space-time can expand faster then the speed of light. (inflation) As the universe had to expand faster to account for the current observed state to evolve.
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I've only read that the expansion speeds present, were required to be at least "near light speed". But I could be mistaken, I haven't read up on this for a long time.

Plus, I wasn't there. I can't know!
 





the universe doesnt exist! we cant even prove we are real. I think we are just an experiment in a superintelligent beings school project :)
 
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theoretically, the definition of the universe is all that earth can see.(14 billion light-years) that is because a star's light has not reached earth yet. there could be anything beyond that point, anything! there could be nothing there as well, but that is highly unlikely. there is no end to space as long as we can travel faster then the speed of light through a black hole's event horizon. which is, of course, almost impossible according to Einstein's theory of relativity.Einstein's theory of relativity states that as you travel the speed of light, your mass would increase infinitely.

of course, i may be wrong, but if so, just correct me.:P
 
I believe finite. Why? Because all things must eventually come to an end. I believe our universe borders another universe, which is all connected to the multiverse complex. As ours expands, another is collapsing. Eventually, I believe ours will collapse in on itself too, which could lead to another big bang.
 
All the earth can see ---- Interesting. If space is curved by gravitation and likewise light ----- We may be looking up our own butts and see curved space as straight.

HMike
 
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This has been something I've pondered on before. In believe that the universe is a finite size. Yet I often question what would be beyond the edge of the universe? I came across the idea one night of adding the idea of time into this equation. I'm not going to lie I was on some a psychoactive drug, but it seemed to make a lot of sense then and strangely enough a lot of sense now. Just a little less comprehensible. The idea was that since time can be considered a fourth dimension you would only ever have something happen once at that particular point in time. Now the idea was if you were to go beyond the edge of the universe would it be possible to fall back or go forward (in the sense of being able to go forward quicker than you normally would) to a point in time to a pre-existing state of the universe or yet to happen state of the universe.
It's just an idea, but I hate that I'm probably not going to find the answer in this lifetime :P
 
This again opens the question posted by Dave. " Define universe""......
If the universe is finite yet you question "what is beyond" --- then even you have doubts about infinity.

A finite human mind can not comprenend infinity. Walking on the skin (balloon) dividing a finite universe and the infinite is hard to comprehend.

HMike
 
Meatball said:
The implications to the answer are very big,

but regardless, I believe that the universe is finite. I think that it is only as big as the age of the universe (since the time it began to expand from a singularity) * the speed of light. No piece of matter can travel out farther than the speed of light. Not even space- tiem can expand faster than the light of light.

So to say that the universe had a beginning, is to say that it is finite.

To say that the universe has always been here, can suggested that the universe is infinite.

Just my recent thoughts on this.
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Not even space- tiem can expand faster than the light of light.
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Incorrect. You have heard of inflation ? Space can expand much faster than light.
 
I like this thinking... "there are more things in heaven and earth then were ever dreamed of in any of your philosophies Dr Watson" -Sherlock Holmes

Infinite by me... -Glenn
 
brtaman said:
The was I see it, is this:

The universe is finite in the cosmic scale.

It is however infinite on the human perception scale.

The reason being that like any other explosion it is expanding, at what I believe to be the speed of light (0.02), therefore even if, we were to manufacture a vehicle that would approach the speed of light and send it on a course for the "end of the universe", it would theoretically never reach the end. (taking aside the obvious millennia it would take to reach anywhere, even at that speed)

However, we must also take into account that our universe could be one which expands infinitely until it basically "freezes over".

Or, it could be one which when the "expansion" stops, the force of gravity is strong enough to pull everything back together, in time creating the conditions for a new Big Bang, in effect a hard restart
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The analogy of the Big Bang being an explosion is a misunderstanding. If it were possible to witness the moment of creation you'd see the Universe come into being everywhere at once.
 
nikokapo said:
This is my loop, which makes me angry because I can't reach anywhere:

1) If the universe isn't infinite, then it's inside something bigger, or it's on the side of something else.

2) If we were to reach an edge or end of it, then we could somehow "break the wall" and see what's on the other side.

3) But according to Physics there's no way space is infinite, so it must be finite, which leads me to 1)...

EDIT: I also believe it has something to do with it being a 4 dimensional space. The ant in a balloon analogy doesn't do it for me, because the ant is walking on the very edge of the universe then, and it could somehow break it to see the "outer" world/space.
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1. Possibly

2. Where does the laws of physics say that ?

3. Time the 4th dimension is not a spacial dimension but a coordinate of time; hence the term Spacetime.
 
Could "everywhere" at the time of the BANG been the size of a basket ball or a Volkswagon or some "small" point?
Infinity extends from LARGE to small.

Define TIME in Infinity. :-)

HMike
 
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