What is it like on the outer edge of the universe?

Mik3y

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Mar 2, 2004
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The universe is expanding, so that means that there is something the universe is expanding about. what is it like on the outer edge of the universe or outside of it?
 

TuxDave

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Oct 8, 2002
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Or another question, assuming you can travel faster than the universe is expanding, what would it be like as you approached the rim of the universe? I always played with the idea that since the universe is expanding like a wave, at the very edge is very compressed space-time.

So if you move towards the edge, you'll basically shrink since space-time is so compressed. So let's say the edge of the universe is 2 meters away. If you walk 1 meter forward, you'll shrink 2x So if you walk another 1 meter forward (in your perspective), you're only moving 0.5meters and you shrink another 2x. You'll never get to the edge. Inside the universe, the edge seems infinitely far but in fact it's very close but you just can't get there.
 

imported_jb

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Sep 10, 2004
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you must have not bought my thin candy shell post in the other thread? gamma energy! we must be expanding into, or creating, a feild of gamma energy distortion.
 

Jeff7

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Jan 4, 2001
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One other theory is that space itself is also expanding, and that it is simply impossible to travel faster than the rate of expansion. So you'd never make it to the edge of the universe. And you couldn't go past the edge anyway, because nothing can exist outside it.
 

DrPizza

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Mar 5, 2001
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Originally posted by: eigen
The universe may be finite but have no edge i.e a sphere.Though it is thought the geometry of the universe is a lot more complex. Indeed there is a lot of research on the topology of the universe. http://astro.uchicago.edu/home...rses/A18200/nbower.htm

Excellent site, thanks

Ughhhh
Ever think you had a good understanding of something, then you asked yourself a couple of questions and it completely wiped out all you understood? Thanks site. Thanks brain. Now I'm going to be pondering for days, if not years.
 

AyashiKaibutsu

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Jan 24, 2004
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I'd say your existance near the edge would push the rate of the edge to increase, but then again people used to say the human body couldn't breath if you went past 55 mph...
 

Cattlegod

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May 22, 2001
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Originally posted by: eigen
The universe may be finite but have no edge i.e a sphere.Though it is thought the geometry of the universe is a lot more complex. Indeed there is a lot of research on the topology of the universe. http://astro.uchicago.edu/home...rses/A18200/nbower.htm

Wow, that is sweet, never thought of the fact that all other galaxies might just be us seeing ourselves. Neat idea, however it seems sorta like the old theories where the earth is the center of the universe theme.
 

cirthix

Diamond Member
Aug 28, 2004
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since you are a part of the universe, if you move, you are moving the universe with you, since you cannot leave what you are, you cannot leave the universe. if you leave the univese as the universe was some amout of time ago, you will be expanding the universe to fit you.
food for thought:
what is the univrse; do you coniser space between matter part of the universe or do you consider space emptiness, the lack of a universe. If we define the universe as all matter and all energy in existence, then empty space must lie outside of the universe. If you consider the defintion above and think that emptiness is not part of the universe, when does the universe/atom (depending on wether you're viewing this on a large or small scale) end and emptiness begin? What is your reasoning for setting the border where it is?

After all, which is more important, perception or reality?
 

Sahakiel

Golden Member
Oct 19, 2001
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Originally posted by: Cattlegod
Originally posted by: Sahakiel
Well, you would first have to assume the universe has an outer edge...

and that it is finite...

No, not really. Finite implies an outer edge, but just an outer edge does not imply finite.
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
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The way space is and works is beyond human comprehension. we will never know if it has an edge or not.
 

AyashiKaibutsu

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2004
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There have been a lot of things beyond human comprehension that have since been learned... I wouldn't make grand assumptions like that.
 

djpolstee

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Sep 25, 2004
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Waddup eigen.

You know, if memory serves, Scientific American carried a large article about this, and specifically on the fact that what we see in the sky might be a mirror of us, looking back.

All this talk reminds me of the episode of Futurama, when Fry wanted to see the edge of the universe and found a parallel universe where they wore cowboy outfits. Makes me wonder.
 

eigen

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Nov 19, 2003
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Originally posted by: djpolstee
Waddup eigen.

You know, if memory serves, Scientific American carried a large article about this, and specifically on the fact that what we see in the sky might be a mirror of us, looking back.

All this talk reminds me of the episode of Futurama, when Fry wanted to see the edge of the universe and found a parallel universe where they wore cowboy outfits. Makes me wonder.

Thats true perhaps we should give up on the question "What is the shape of the Universe"....and just get trashed ( in my case) and watch ADult swim .....mEATWAd is the universe....it is ZEN
 

imported_jb

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Sep 10, 2004
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so what did that Topology link say? that the CMB data is uniform, right? they said that they'd expect to see reflections from "the other side of the universe", but i see a couple of problems with that. 1) the possibility that the bounds didn't come back yet. 2) they could have been thru enough already so that it appears uniform. (perhaps waves are faintly there or dissolved) 3) what i thought the 1st time i heard about CMB, there is just already enough noise from objects occuring once in the universe for the CMB to appear uniform.
yup.
 

eigen

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Nov 19, 2003
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Originally posted by: jb
so what did that Topology link say? that the CMB data is uniform, right? they said that they'd expect to see reflections from "the other side of the universe", but i see a couple of problems with that. 1) the possibility that the bounds didn't come back yet. 2) they could have been thru enough already so that it appears uniform. (perhaps waves are faintly there or dissolved) 3) what i thought the 1st time i heard about CMB, there is just already enough noise from objects occuring once in the universe for the CMB to appear uniform.
yup.


The point of the link was not to say this hypothesis is correct, it was in repsonse to a poster stating they thought it impossible to "know" the shape of the universe. I provided the link solely to show that there are human constructible experiments that allow us to verify the shape of the universe.
 

Mik3y

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Mar 2, 2004
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hmm...well, isnt it theoretical that the universe would shrink back down once it stops expanding? in that case, would anything be able to exist outside of the universe?

i dont totally understand about all this cool junk. i'm only 18. :)
 

Neptune3000

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Sep 15, 2004
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According to string theory, we live in a MEMBRANE. nothign can escape but gravity. Another membrane could be right next to us, MMs away with people or somethign crazy. I favor this idea because i'ma big fan of string theory.