edge of the universe EXISTS

[Comandante]

No' date=' the stars and galixies are "patchy" so hence there are regions of empty spave and regions of not-so empty space.

 

The good example of that is that, galixies are arranged in "Branches" with nothingness in between (well the odd one or two stars in a bn square light years).

 

There is half a dozen hydrogen atoms in the size of a matchbox of this empty space, so its pretty damn empty.[/quote']

 

interesting, so you think it is a high possibility that there is a bunch of stars, i.e. another globular star cluster too far away for its light to have reached us? I know you didnt' comment on that but I'm curious... I personally think there isn't...

[bascule]

I think certain individuals on this thread are really thinking about the problem incorrectly.

 

Our best information to date paints a picture of an extremely flat universe. That doesn't necessarily imply an infinite flat universe, but if the universe is closed (either in a positive sphere or a negative saddle) then it is very, very, very big, to the point that it appears to be flat. Figuring out why the universe seems so flat is a rather vexing problem in science today.

 

Note that if the universe truly is closed, it's impossible for an "edge" to exist as the curvature of spacetime would merely wrap back on itself. This is the anticipated behavior of the 6 "compactified" dimensions in string theory, they are simply curved so tightly in comparison with the three spatial dimensions of ordinary experience that they don't even seem to exist in our ordinary, everyday lives.

[reverse]

This is reminding me of the ancient sailors setting out over the Pacific ocean. Quite Sure that they were heading for the edge of the world.

 

They saw that the Earth was flat, their eyes told them that,

but can you imagine their surprise when they got to the edge of the world and it was the beginning again.

 

How would they understand (from what they knew) that sitting at home in their kitchen, they were already standing on the edge of the world - and the real exit door was straight up.

[island]

I think certain individuals on this thread are really thinking about the problem incorrectly.

 

Our best information to date paints a picture of an extremely flat universe. That doesn't necessarily imply an infinite flat universe' date=' but if the universe is closed (either in a positive sphere or a negative saddle) then it is very, very, very big, to the point that it appears to be flat. Figuring out why the universe seems so flat is a rather vexing problem in science today.

[/quote']

 

Maybe not so tough after all, if we don't run-off on every cutting-edge theoretical tangent that happens to be the flavor of pop physics writers following... "seekers of supersymmetry":

 

1) Without a perfect cosmic singularity, characteristics and traits of our universe, (like, flatness and the rest of the force parameters), can be inherent and cast-forth into our universe from a previous one, by a big bang... e.g. the metric that's set-up by the matter distribution during the initial conditions was pre-determined by that which existed in a previous universe.

 

2) Vacuum expansion is caused and counterbalanced by particle pair creation. e.g., the increase in negative pressure, (antigravity), that's inherent to an expanding universe, gets offset by proportional increases in gravity. This will hold the universe nearly flat as this finite closed near-flat spherical universe expands in accordance with General Relativity, with a cosmological constant.

 

3) Which also resolves the horizon problem without the inflationary "band-aid" scenario, because the offset increase between gravity and vacuum pressure means that tension between the vacuum and ordinary matter increases instead, so the forces will eventually be compromised and the universe will have volume when a big bang occurs... just like the last one... and the one before that...

 

 

Note that if the universe truly is closed' date=' it's impossible for an "edge" to exist as the curvature of spacetime would merely wrap back on itself. This is the anticipated behavior of the 6 "compactified" dimensions in string theory, they are simply curved so tightly in comparison with the three spatial dimensions of ordinary experience that they don't even seem to exist in our ordinary, everyday lives.

[/quote']