Snufflez
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- Jul 3, 2007
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Or Is It? Anyways I DO NOT take credit for this following article, though I can't remember where I got it from...
The UNiverse..You are intuitively correct to note that we often think erroniously of space as being inside of a bigger space - that is, most of us think of Space as being a volume contained within a larger volume. This type of thinking, for instance, leads to the erronious view many people have of the Big Bang as a type of explosion inside of a volume of space. The Big Bang (necessary to this conversation, and not off the subject) is (present tense) an expansion of space and time. All of the solid stuff in it (such as us) is merely a side effect of the expansion process.
As for the edge of the universe, I beleive it is correct to say that you are curently teatering on that ‘edge’ at this very moment, and this (all around you) is what it looks like, unless, of course, you can designate a region of space which is consistantly in the future from where you are in time, ri
ght now.
We can’t confuse ‘looking backward’ in time, as Nova would say, with our telescopes to see ancient light in the past with the notion that we can point the telescope another direction and see the future. Looking for the edge of the universe (and I assume you me the outer most, rather than the inner most boundery) as the outermost boundery is exactly what you are describing. Since we can’t point our telescope in any direction and see the future (at least, as far as we know) this evidence sudgests that you are indeed on the outermost boundery. Some time tommorow will be the outermost boundery, some time tommorow. But it is important to keep in mind that there is no particular direction we point our telescopes to see the inner boundery (the past) and no particular direction where we can see the outer boundery (the future / the present). In fact, everything you see, even inches from your face is in the past, however infinitesmaly so.
But a physical edge, boundery, like where the beach meets the ocean kind of boundery? There really is no such thing in a physical sense. You truly are at that point, and everything around you, other galaxies, quasars, black holes, your computer screen, the table top, the wall across the room, etc., are all in the past, set back from your theoretical edge where you sit or stand.
, it's true that if you were stationary in space and could look in any direction as far as it was possible, you would perceive an "edge" to the Universe. The reason for this is that as you look at objects which are further and further away, you are looking back in time. If you look at a galaxy one billion light years away, you are looking at it as it was one billion years ago. Therefore, if you could see far enough, eventually you would see the beginning of the Universe (the Big Bang) and you would not be able to see any further. The age of the Universe leads to a horizon which limits your field of view.
However, if you could then travel without restriction, it's entirely possible that you might discover that the Universe is infinite. No matter where you happen to be in this infinite space, you have a personal horizon which places a limit on the Universe that you can see, but it's entirely possible to set off travelling in one direction and never encounter an end to space.
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Discuss
The UNiverse..You are intuitively correct to note that we often think erroniously of space as being inside of a bigger space - that is, most of us think of Space as being a volume contained within a larger volume. This type of thinking, for instance, leads to the erronious view many people have of the Big Bang as a type of explosion inside of a volume of space. The Big Bang (necessary to this conversation, and not off the subject) is (present tense) an expansion of space and time. All of the solid stuff in it (such as us) is merely a side effect of the expansion process.
As for the edge of the universe, I beleive it is correct to say that you are curently teatering on that ‘edge’ at this very moment, and this (all around you) is what it looks like, unless, of course, you can designate a region of space which is consistantly in the future from where you are in time, ri
ght now.
We can’t confuse ‘looking backward’ in time, as Nova would say, with our telescopes to see ancient light in the past with the notion that we can point the telescope another direction and see the future. Looking for the edge of the universe (and I assume you me the outer most, rather than the inner most boundery) as the outermost boundery is exactly what you are describing. Since we can’t point our telescope in any direction and see the future (at least, as far as we know) this evidence sudgests that you are indeed on the outermost boundery. Some time tommorow will be the outermost boundery, some time tommorow. But it is important to keep in mind that there is no particular direction we point our telescopes to see the inner boundery (the past) and no particular direction where we can see the outer boundery (the future / the present). In fact, everything you see, even inches from your face is in the past, however infinitesmaly so.
But a physical edge, boundery, like where the beach meets the ocean kind of boundery? There really is no such thing in a physical sense. You truly are at that point, and everything around you, other galaxies, quasars, black holes, your computer screen, the table top, the wall across the room, etc., are all in the past, set back from your theoretical edge where you sit or stand.
, it's true that if you were stationary in space and could look in any direction as far as it was possible, you would perceive an "edge" to the Universe. The reason for this is that as you look at objects which are further and further away, you are looking back in time. If you look at a galaxy one billion light years away, you are looking at it as it was one billion years ago. Therefore, if you could see far enough, eventually you would see the beginning of the Universe (the Big Bang) and you would not be able to see any further. The age of the Universe leads to a horizon which limits your field of view.
However, if you could then travel without restriction, it's entirely possible that you might discover that the Universe is infinite. No matter where you happen to be in this infinite space, you have a personal horizon which places a limit on the Universe that you can see, but it's entirely possible to set off travelling in one direction and never encounter an end to space.
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Discuss
