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I'm definitely not an expert on physics or astronomy but I think the universe is finite because it apparently began with the big bang and we've been able to measure the fact that the universe is expanding. From my understanding time and even space itself came into existence at a certain point and it's not actually expanding into anything because nothing else exists which is a mind boggling concept. I'm not really sure if anything is infinite including time and the whole concept may just be based on our misunderstanding of the universe which is due to the fact that we perceive the world based on our senses which would make us think that time proceeds at a steady and predictable rate but Einstein proved that idea was false. My basic feeling is that nothing could really be infinite because it would never have a starting point.
I'm definitely not an expert on physics or astronomy but I think the universe is finite because it apparently began with the big bang and we've been able to measure the fact that the universe is expanding. From my understanding time and even space itself came into existence at a certain point and it's not actually expanding into anything because nothing else exists which is a mind boggling concept. I'm not really sure if anything is infinite including time and the whole concept may just be based on our misunderstanding of the universe which is due to the fact that we perceive the world based on our senses which would make us think that time proceeds at a steady and predictable rate but Einstein proved that idea was false. My basic feeling is that nothing could really be infinite because it would never have a starting point.
Good point. It seems the universe is like the energizer bunny just keeps going and expanding. My question is before the big bang, what was it. What is nothing? Blackness? Well that could be space, just another space and the universe is expanding in that space? mind melt...911!!
I think scientists would say it is finite. They say space is actually curved. I don't pretend to really understand it but I would believe the scientists. Philosophically, it doesn't really matter to me, nor does it affect my beliefs.
Here's a thought: What if there are billions of universes just like there are billions of galaxies?
we like a spake of dust, i think there is life everywhere and solar systems like our own.What ever we see here is within, what goes around comes around and what goes up it must come down. But what caused it i still cannot refute a deity responsible for all this it seems to be unreal to have started as a big bang and 13 billion years, probably that's as far as the telescope can capture the star lights who knows what is beyond. As we all humans we don't know it all but only the wise come up with different assumptions driving the crowd from one thought to the another.
Here's a thought: What if there are billions of universes just like there are billions of galaxies?
it is more wise to say God knows but that is a good assumption, anything is possible what ever we can imagine comes from within it must be what it is. it would make a little more sense to say our universe came from another universe, that could answer the big bang theory other than out of matter hmmm
The only thing I can say is our universe, space the final frontier, sorry,,, is so amazing an beautiful, I find the big bang the most sensible and understandable ( TO ME) explanation and I truly believe it has taken way more than 10,000 or whatever it is years to create something so huge and complicated.
Science believes that the universe and space itself are finite, but expanding at an accelerating rate, and no, as one poster stated it did not begin with an atom as no atoms existed when the expansion began.
Big Bang holds so many problems and infinite Universe sounds sophisticated but either way it is all complex. The idea is similar to the surface of the globe. You can keep going and going and not hit unlimited barrier, but the area of the globe is finite just the same hmmm
share your philosophic or religious views
"Universal Seasons". (my personal theory, BTW)
The Big Bang was merely the "Spring", when matter/energy renews itself, and expands away from the center of mass/energy. One can see this on eac level, Universal, Galactic, individual Star Systems, and even on the planet itself.
"Summer" is a time when outward momentum (from this "Spring/Big Bang" event) and the gravitational pull from an immense singularity at the center of all mass/energy balance each other perfectly. Scientists surmise there are just such Black Holes at the center of each galaxy, helping to keep them stable, and no reason I can see ATM for just such a structure to be seen on a Universal level.
"Fall" is literally fall, as the energy of momentum dissipates and that huge Black Hole begins to attract all matter/energy back towards itself.
"Winter" is the time when that singularity increases in size as it collects matter/energy, thus increasing the speed of this collection. Once all "(or even most) of the matter and energy is collected, the singularity collapses onto itself ("Spring") thus releasing renewed matter and energy back out into the universe, where it begins to form new galaxies, star systems, and planets.
The cycle repeats itself. Always has, and always will.
I'm always saddened by the thought that even if we were to discover an Earth-like planet which is almost entirely guaranteed to harbour life, chances are we would never be able to visit it or even communicate with it because the distances are far too great.
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