Poll: Do You Believe Outer Space is Infinite

[morkinva]

Hmm many a night I've lain awake trying to answer this question.

If we assume the big bang is fact, then what existed before the big bang? Intuitively I feel there was something else other than the point of the big bang origin. Why do we think that only this stupid universe exists? Anyhow, since the space laid open by the big bang at one point had a definable boundary, then it still has a boundary albeit further out.

 

[Cattlegod]

Originally posted by: Utterman

Originally posted by: UberDave
uhhhh... what happens when you hit the edge of the universe?

You will end up at the resturant

nope, a starbucks.

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: Hayabusarider

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

This is the answer 911 The universe IS space. As it expands, more space is created. Like the balloon expanding. The surface of it increases, but it wasnt hiding somewhere. It just grew with the expansion

OK, where is this "balloon" expanding. If it was a finite area, the balloon would stop, would it not? I love watching subjects on this, as I stated, I read physics type books for fun.

S


Love physics too.. The problem with this analogy, and why I was reluctant to use it right off is it implies that you can watch the universe from outside and watch it expand. That is not true because the universe makes space. You arent watching the ant, you ARE the ant. Asking what is outside of it is therefore like asking what time is it outside of time. The question itself makes no sense, although that is not as intuative.

Physics are fun, I learned that in the Naval Nuclear Power Program.

If you are that ant, and on an expanding ball, is the universe expanding for you or the balloon? There HAS to be space for the "balloon" to expand or it would stop right? If we are in an expanding universe, then the extents are expanding, which means infinity. If it were not infinity the ant on the balloon would get crushed against the edge at some point.

Infinity is confusing to me as well, but a "edge or finality" is harder to imagine. Infinity is amazing, and I love reading, learning about it.

 

[HombrePequeno]

Originally posted by: morkinva
Hmm many a night I've lain awake trying to answer this question.

If we assume the big bang is fact, then what existed before the big bang? Intuitively I feel there was something else other than the point of the big bang origin. Why do we think that only this stupid universe exists? Anyhow, since the space laid open by the big bang at one point had a definable boundary, then it still has a boundary albeit further out.

There was no "before" the big bang since time started at the big bang.

 

[wfbberzerker]

i think this stuff isn't meant for humans to comprehend (not yet at least).

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: wfbberzerker
do i believe the universe is infinite? no
do i believe outer space is infinite? yes

i think universe and outerspace is two different things.

This is my answer as well.

 

[Cattlegod]

Originally posted by: HombrePequeno

Originally posted by: morkinva
Hmm many a night I've lain awake trying to answer this question.

If we assume the big bang is fact, then what existed before the big bang? Intuitively I feel there was something else other than the point of the big bang origin. Why do we think that only this stupid universe exists? Anyhow, since the space laid open by the big bang at one point had a definable boundary, then it still has a boundary albeit further out.

There was no "before" the big bang since time started at the big bang.

 

[GrimReefer]

No one can possibly know the answer, we have so much to learn. Those who put Yes/No are too confident in their undeveloped intelect.

 

[josphII]

Originally posted by: lirion
No. If the universe is expanding then it can't be infinite because it's getting bigger all the time.

what is expanding is the matter in space. all the matter makes up the universe, not space. space is nothing. yes i believe space is infinite, we have no reason not to believe it.

 

[busmaster11]

There aren't enough choices to chose from. finite space atleast as I imagine it implies that there is a tangible boundary, and something beyond that boundary exists and is defined. I believe that space is finite in the sense that it is expanding, and something that is infinite cannot expand. On the other hand, it is infinite in the sense that I don't believe that it is possible to reach the boundaries of space, even with time and distance out of the equation.

That we are 3d creatures living in a 4+ dimension universe is my guess for it.

 

[wviperw]

I think the universe is a closed system, meaning there is probably something outside of the universe (some would call it "god"). Yet, since we are INSIDE this closed system, it looks like its infinite, but if we were to look at it from the outside of the system, it would be finite.

And like someone else said: infinite, no. unbounded, yes. Meaning the universe can grow UP to a rate of the speed of light, and since by einstien's theories we can't go past the speed of light (w/o adverse affects), this means we can never go "outside" the universe/system, so thats why it is seemingly infinite for us.

 

[CPA]

For those of you who say it is infinite, how do you explain space curves? Then again, maybe I don't fully understand what a space curve is.

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: HombrePequeno

Originally posted by: morkinva
Hmm many a night I've lain awake trying to answer this question.

If we assume the big bang is fact, then what existed before the big bang? Intuitively I feel there was something else other than the point of the big bang origin. Why do we think that only this stupid universe exists? Anyhow, since the space laid open by the big bang at one point had a definable boundary, then it still has a boundary albeit further out.

There was no "before" the big bang since time started at the big bang.

So how did this "big bang" occur? Something from nothing? There is no time, space, matter, or anything and suddenly there is an explosion. Now who's crazy?

 

[SagaLore]

The universe isn't infinite. And there's not boundary. It's RECURSIVE. If we traveled in direction for a long long long time, we'd end up back where we started, coming from the exact opposite direction.

This allows the universe to expand, while containing a finite amount of energy/matter. But it is also contracting at the same time. Make sense? All of our observations are through perception of being in the particular coordinates we're at. Universe will never collapse or die of heat death, just simply reorder.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
It is infinite in the same way as no matter how far west you travel there is still an infinite amount of west... The universe, imo, just is a giant sphere basically.

Ah, yes, here's a good way of presenting this. Not just a giant sphere, but rather, the outer 2 dimensional shell of the sphere. Take our multi-dimensional perspective of spacetime, and transpose it onto the outside of the sphere. That's the universe. Wormholes are just lines connecting two points through the sphere.

 

[Alphathree33]

I think that if you travel far enough in a straight line in one direction, you will eventually end up back where you started. It is infinite in a sense, but finite in size.

There is current physics thinking that extends our universe to ten dimensions with the other seven having a very small distance for which space "repeats" itself. This thinking can be used to explain a lot of things, and it sure does make a lot more sense to me than a gigantic oversized brick wall or an infinite amount of matter, energy and empty space.

 

[SagaLore]

Here's one for you.

If light moves at a constant speed, then any light traveling on the edge of the universe is causing the universe to expand at the speed of light. But, any object approaching the speed of light becomes an infinite mass. So if the universe is finite, and expanding, then it's infinite. If the universe is already infinite, then all mass would be in total equillibrium and our observation of movement is just intertia moving stuff around. But if that's true, then where did matter/energy come from and why is it in movement. So must have come from big bang. But if it came from big bang, then time is finite, which makes the universe finite.

Now pick that one apart.

 

[SHoddyCOmp]

Originally posted by: lirion
No. If the universe is expanding then it can't be infinite because it's getting bigger all the time.

Its all very strange, I think it is though, what is it expanding INTO then? Just making 'space'? what if we are at the very edge of the universe? If we were moving faster than it was what would happen? Is it just a wall? I think its infinite but whatever had mass of whatever from the BB are ever constantly spreading out further untill it happens again.

Originally posted by: Beast1284
If it's not, then what is after it?

 

[josphII]

why do people keep saying that space is expanding? the universe is exanding, space is not.

 

[CPA]

Where the hell is Steven Hawkings when you need him?

 

[Rob9874]

Does anyone else have a panic attack when thinking about infinity? It's strange to have a concept that we cannot comprehend with our human brains.

As far as the space outside the universe, or what there was before the big bang, we can't fully comprehend that either. Try to think about neither space nor time existing. How does space not exist? What is there? When we think of "nothing," we think of space. But even space is something. It is a distance, area, or volume. But I don't think anyone can fully comprehend "nothing."

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: Alphathree33
I think that if you travel far enough in a straight line in one direction, you will eventually end up back where you started. It is infinite in a sense, but finite in size.

There is current physics thinking that extends our universe to ten dimensions with the other seven having a very small distance for which space "repeats" itself. This thinking can be used to explain a lot of things, and it sure does make a lot more sense to me than a gigantic oversized brick wall or an infinite amount of matter, energy and empty space.

That's how I feel. Space is curved, and if you travel straight(relaitve) you will eventually end up where you started. Also I'm asshamed that this made it to 2 pages and only one refrence to the resturaunt at the end of the universe.

Oh, and 43

 

[busmaster11]

n/m

 

[zzzz]

If light moves at a constant speed

It does not.


Also you are assuming light will travel in a straight direction. It will curve when it is near the edge of the universe.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: zzzz

If light moves at a constant speed

It does not.


Also you are assuming light will travel in a straight direction. It will curve when it is near the edge of the universe.

I'm not assuming anything. Light is relatively constant in whatever spacetime coordinate it happens to be in. If light takes longer/shorter to get from point A to point B than it does from C to D, but the perceptual dimensional length between C/D is the same as A/B, then it isn't light that is altering it's constant, but rather the medium it exists in.

If the frequency of light changes to that of which is not light, then it is no longer light. I'm a believer is spacetime reference distortion, so I can see light changing speeds although light itself really isn't changing speed. The space is changing.

Now, why would light curve when it reaches the end of the universe? If that were the case, then other manifestations would curve such as matter, if everything curved then we'd end up with a density increase, and as the universe expanded the outer edges would get brighter as light could begin reflecting off the matter. :Q