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Author Topic:   Universe - Size . . . something doesn't compute !
Rei
Member (Idle past 7043 days)
Posts: 1546
From: Iowa City, IA
Joined: 09-03-2003


Message 16 of 69 (54517)
09-09-2003 3:31 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by MarkSteven
09-07-2003 10:01 PM


Big bang
If you accept the Big Bang, even if space is infinite, the universe is finite, and the edges can never be reached. This is because, since the speed of light is absolute, nothing can ever catch up to the points that are on a sphere which has been expanding at the speed of light ever since it occurred. Thus, the "universe" is all within this sphere, and outside, even if infinite in dimensions, contains nothing.
Of course, there are countless other possibilites, and we don't know enough to speculate reliably on them. One that I'm keen to is the possibility of multiple universes, separated by distant time and/or space. Bubbles of existance from distinct "Big Bang"s. Why should our Big Bang be unique in space/time?
------------------
"Illuminant light,
illuminate me."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by MarkSteven, posted 09-07-2003 10:01 PM MarkSteven has not replied

  
Rei
Member (Idle past 7043 days)
Posts: 1546
From: Iowa City, IA
Joined: 09-03-2003


Message 60 of 69 (55307)
09-13-2003 9:45 PM
Reply to: Message 59 by Percy
09-13-2003 8:45 PM


Yes, but...
Yes, but the usage here of infinity is horribly done. As a general rule, mathematicians work with limits. Now, you *can* show that "some infinities are larger than others" with limits** - but you don't work with values of infinity alone.
**: Given: f(x) = x as x approaches infinity = infinity
Given: g(x) = x*x as x approaches infinity = infinity
Then
g(x) / f(x) = infinity as x approaches infinity.
You just got infinity over infinity equals infinity. Yet, if we had different limits for infinity (say, if both f(x) and g(x) were limits of x as x approaches infinity), it would be equal to one. Or, if f(x) and g(x) were reversed, it would be equal to zero. That's why using "infinity" as a number just doesn't work.
------------------
"Illuminant light,
illuminate me."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 59 by Percy, posted 09-13-2003 8:45 PM Percy has not replied

Replies to this message:
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