Could the Universe be shaped like a Soccer Ball?

[matter]

"LONDON (Reuters) -- The universe may be finite, spherical and patched together like a soccer ball, according to U.S. and French researchers.

 

Jeffrey Weeks, a MacArthur Fellow based in Canton, New York, and researchers from the University of Paris and Observatory of Paris studied astronomical data which suggests the universe is finite and made of curved pentagons joined together into a sphere.

 

In research reported in the Thursday edition of the science journal Nature, the scientists said data from NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, which maps background radiation left over from the Big Bang, is not consistent with an infinite universe.

 

"Since antiquity, humans have wondered whether our universe is finite or infinite. Now, after more than two millennia of speculation, observational data might finally settle the ancient question," Weeks said.

 

In a commentary on the research, George Ellis of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, said if Weeks and his colleagues are correct we might indeed live is a small, closed universe."

 

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/10/09/universe.soccer.ball.reut/index.html

 

The europeans would love if the universe was shaped like a soccer ball. I can see it now...

 

My opinion is that I hope their data is correct, and I hope the universe is finite.

[aman]

Thanks for the link but I'm dissapointed there weren't any scientific arguments to back it up. I'll look forward to the arguments they present, soon I hope.

Just aman

[blike]

....americans instantly lose interest..

[YT2095]

Looking at it logicaly and removing all the mystery type stuff, surely the universe has to be similar to an ordinary explosion, with it "schrapnel" flying in every direction, but we`re just seeing it in slow motion so to speak.

and there`s no real reason that I know of that it shouldn`t/wouldn`t behave in exactly the same way. and the hot bits that fly out from say a ball of TNT would be like our galaxies and stars, and the cooler bits like forming planets etc... (over simplified sure).

using this known data, I would estimate that if the "big bang" were initialy spherical when it blew, then so would also the universe be (depending where on/in the sphere the initial detonation took place).

I think the whole planet`s gone football crazy!

[greg1917]

Thats cos football is the greatest game on Earth. Our creator even modelled the universe in its image, now THATS marketting for you.

[YT2095]

AHA, but does the Universe come in two halves as well?

[blike]

You must mean american football, greg.

[Dudde]

blike said in post #3 :

....americans instantly lose interest..

 

yup

 

You must mean american football, greg.

yup again^_^

[NSX]

matter said in post #1 :

"

Jeffrey Weeks, a MacArthur Fellow based in Canton, New York, and researchers from the University of Paris and Observatory of Paris studied astronomical data which suggests the universe is finite and made of curved pentagons joined together into a sphere.

 

In research reported in the Thursday edition of the science journal Nature, the scientists said data from NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, which maps background radiation left over from the Big Bang, is not consistent with an infinite universe.

 

 

 

aman said in post #2 :

Thanks for the link but I'm dissapointed there weren't any scientific arguments to back it up. I'll look forward to the arguments they present, soon I hope.

Just aman