It is said that the universe never ends in all given directions. This is mind boggeling. How can something go on without an end? And if it does end....what is there a wall? What's on the other side of the wall. Do you get my meaning?

Is this true? I was under the impression that this universe was still expanding. Maybe I'm wrong.....

Well, the way I see it - the best analogy to use when trying to understand something that never ends is the FREAKIN' AB HOAX!

Sheesh.

OK - time to be serious. You pose a great question that will take Eternity for us to fully answer...



What really interests me about this is:

Do the same people who believe that the Universe is endless also believe that it began with a Big Bang?



Even though my mind cannot comprehend something that never ends, I can accept the concept 'cos the God I acknowledge as my Creator is Himself infinite.

Now - an additional question for us all...

How do we feel (assuming we believe it) that our individual existence will never end?

I don't know the true facts but if it was still expanding what would be where the universe isn't yet? Even space is something. So it must be neverending in all directions.

It could be actually that it does end. We con not reach there, and perhaps never will, even with aircrafts going the speed of light or faster. It's waaaay to far away.

Originally posted by illimey
Even though my mind cannot comprehend something that never ends, I can accept the concept 'cos the God I acknowledge as my Creator is Himself infinite.

Now - an additional question for us all...

How do we feel (assuming we believe it) that our individual existence will never end?

This is what I have been recently think about along the lines of the human soul (check out the thread entitled 'Souls?' in Paranormal Studies ). Someone recently brought up the point that we do not exist in even a vaguely human form but our energy becomes as one with the universe, which made some sense to me. Whether our energy eventually dissapates (sp?) or whatever I don't know. Interesting thought though.

Originally posted by I See You
How can something go on without an end? And if it does end....what is there a wall? What's on the other side of the wall.

I love the duality you just described...we as humans can't comprehend the idea of the universe being infinite, yet at the same time we can't comprehend it being finite!

All we can do is theorize on the makeup of the universe - even if it is infinite, there's a limit to how far we can see - unless the universe is infinite in time, as well. Of couse, what exactly is the "universe?" There are so many unknowns - black holes, dark matter, etc. Until we understand these we won't be able to understand how the universe was created, what mechanisms are shaping it, or what it's destiny is.

Now, as to comprehending infinitude, mathematics deals with infinite structures regularly. A dimension is infinite, as is a line or a plane. We just can't grasp infinitude as we have no practical examples of it. There's no way we can look at something and say, oh, that's infinite. You can't use a meter stick to measure infinity. Just one of the limitations of the body - thankfully the mind is not restricted by such limitations, we are free to ponder infinitude to our heart's content.


[edit on 6/13/2004 by PurdueNuc]

Originally posted by I See You
It is said that the universe never ends in all given directions. This is mind boggeling. How can something go on without an end? And if it does end....what is there a wall? What's on the other side of the wall. Do you get my meaning?

Well, I understand it this way. Imagine our universe as a ball with enormous mass. When you try to fly away from it will hold you with its gravity force. It is like a plane moves round the earth.

I thought what we call space/the universre was the three dimensional surface of a four dimensional "volume". and the reason we can't find an edge to it is because it is wrapped around and bent back on its self. Where are Flatland Dwellers when you need them! Who knows for sure? Not me. Space is funny old stuff, it's almost like it isn't there at all.

What is even more mind-boggling is this. Assuming the astronomers are right, and the universe is constantly expanding (the same as saying it's infinite, since it just gets bigger all the time), then what's beyond the "edge" of the universe? The edge, meaning the new areas as it expands. If there is nothing beyond the edge of the universe, then how can the universe expand if there is nothing to expand onto?

It's absolutely insane. Science and the laws of our own reality dictate that everything comes from something. Which pretty much means the universe is infinite. How can something have no limits? It's amazing. It's uplifting too, we can literally do anything, go anywhere.

Let me just say this more. Forget God, forget spirituality, forget morals, everything. The universe is the meaning of everything, everything in our lives. You discover what the universe is, you will find God, spirit, and morals.

any of you have knoledge about the "macro micro cosmos" theory?
i have learned deeply about it in my buddhist class, and other "friends" had told me about it too.

if you can "google" something about that, you will see that the unswer to this qustion can be more simple then what it looks.

I remember they were talking about this in astrophysics class. As the universe keeps expanding, eventually it will have to collapse onto itself. Also, if you think about the shape of the universe as a giant sphere and we are just beings on that sphere than you will never reach the end of the universe because you will always just keeping running into more of it...

There is a theory(one that I tend to believe) that the universe is constantly going through a cycle of expanding and contracting. It will expand until it gets stretched too thin, then contract back on itself. Kind of like a giant bungee cord.

Originally posted by The Last Patriot
There is a theory(one that I tend to believe) that the universe is constantly going through a cycle of expanding and contracting. It will expand until it gets stretched too thin, then contract back on itself. Kind of like a giant bungee cord.

What is the source of energy that this theory suggests set this bungee universe into it's bouncy motion?

Ive wondered about this alot, actually, and I have drawn a rather stupid looking picture. Here it is. Enjoy.

Originally posted by illimey
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What is the source of energy that this theory suggests set this bungee universe into it's bouncy motion?

As the universe contracts, it "eats" some of the expanded portion. Kind of like vomiting, and then consuming the vomit. I know this is gross, but its the best example I could remember. It was an astro-physics professor that explained this to me and he was a bit nuts.(as many of them are) However, due to theories of perpetual energy, it would seem that this process will eventually end. But remember, all our ideas and laws of physics come from a species that is basically earthbound. So we could be way off on everything.

the space outside our universe is called super-space, and its supposed to be also neverending with no time/space so if you make a worm hole you leave our universe, travel in this sub/super space where time is no existant and come back in another point in our universe.

well thats one of the theories