Sayonara

(1) A 2D surface does not need to be raised into 3 dimensions before you find an edge. (2) I don't see why you see it necessary to imagine the universe as a curved volume. However, if it were, I don't see that as being a problem as - like most people - I am capable of imagining such concepts. (3) A balloon's surface does have an edge - the point where expansion begins, the squiggly bit you tie up. Either locate a related element in the universe model you are using or chose a more suitable analogy. (4) You appear to be considering the balloon's surface as if it were an edgeless plane in 2 dimensions only. Fair enough if you wish to discard one dimension, but that is not an accurate model of the universe. (5) To claim the universe requires a 4D brain to imagine it is a bit vague. Define '4D brain'. And explain why my puny brain can visualise and manipulate a model of a hypercube if what you say is true.

The balloon is 3 dimensional in spatial terms, and so is the universe.

Basically a huge panel that uses photonic momentum to accelerate a space craft.

It has a boundary between the air inside and outside the rubber. Are you referring to the point where that surface begins and/or ends?

The balloon clearly still has a center. I think NSX probably meant "boundary" or "inner surface" when he said 'edge'. It's difficult to give something theoretical an appropriate name when there's nothing it directly compares to

Which? The warp field or the stardate system?

I wouldn't expect him to reply - he picked up his toys and left a while ago. He did plug his books a lot in the forums though if you can be bothered searching for them...

What sort of time frame are we looking at here?

That's where the "barrier to exclude relativistic effects" bit comes in Incidentally the stardate system was adopted to allow ships travelling at different sub-warp speeds to stay synchronised with all the different panets in the federation, which obviously have different rotational and orbital periods.

Well, it's not really a 'speed' per se. The warp field supposedly has two functions - distort space (compressing it ahead of the ship and expanding it behind), and create a barrier that excludes relativistic effects. It's a safe bet that we are a lot further than 300 short years from that kind of technology, but I wouldn't rule it out completely.

Yes, there's a lot to be said for good methodology - whether it's a beautifully designed experimental method or a deliciously W3-compliant XML document... Have a read of some of Zarkov and Adam's threads in this forum to see how horribly, horribly wrong "scientific expansion" can go... heh heh heh.

Fireworks + faf + annoying customers = A 3 month trial.

A job? You guys finished your courses now then?

then blame fafalone

In theory you contain it magnetically, but as you say that looks like quel catastrophe! to me from every angle.

I said the answer was the same as the answer to the chicken and the egg problem, because by definition the two questions are the same. Hence, the answer is the very title you selected - evolution. As to the actual mechanisms of development of a self-supporting amino acid // DNA 'production line', you'd have to ask a molecular biochemist I'm afraid (don't really go into that in depth even in degree level biology )

If I can ignore the biology, you can ignore the physics! Use your imagination damn you! Flee the antimatter, run! run!

I think the idea was to dump the core then use the impulse engines to get a nice distance away from it. Full impulse is 1/4 lightspeed, but the impulse engines can be used to power the warp nacelles up to about warp 4 for short periods. I don't see a problem with running from virtual particles. In fact, I suspect I would have a greater chance of successfully escaping them or their effects than I would with real particles. RUN!

Everything I know about abiogenesis came from Dana Scully.

Let's not forget resultants...

Not really, but as long as it stays far away from me I'm happy. My interest in it increases as it gets closer to me, manifesting itself as me running away quite quickly.

Some of those Hubble pics are fantastic :cool2:

By heading this thread "Evolution" you answered your own question. It is the same answer as the chicken and egg problem.

We are a tiny planet orbiting a nondescript, common star in an unremarkable region of an average galaxy. We are insignificant

RTFQ or "Put your hand up if you understood the question" for those who are less familiar with academic acronyms.