If the universe were infinite...

Here's a question I pondered recently.

If the universe were infinite, would it be plausible that races such as those from Startrek could exist?

I.E If the universe was never ending, is it possible that races like the klingons and other ones might be "out there"? or even space dwelling organisms.

It's just something I thought about recently.

The word "infinite" is easy enough but the concept of "infinite" is hard to grasp. From my line of thinking, the odds are that there are life forms like that, has to be. With the billions of stars and trillions of planets, I'm not betting against it.

well. If the cosmos is not infinate, then whatever this cosmos is "in" is. Perhaps Mike kaku is correct, and this cosmos is but one of countless that only ocassionally comes into contact with each other, causing big bangs. a 10 dimensional universe collapsing into just 4. Imagine it.

But if it was to collapse into four what would happen.

And back to the subject, If the universe was infinate, there would be high chances that there is more than one lifeform in the universe, however the chances of each other meeting each other is slim. By the time one race is technologically advanced enough another race could already be exsint.

Life thrives on earth. With countless planets its unlikely that there isn't life out there. The possiblilities are endless. You make up your own imaginary alien race and sure enough theres a chance they do exist.

Originally posted by cyberdude78
You make up your own imaginary alien race and sure enough theres a chance they do exist.

Exactly
Makes you wonder what nightmares are out there waiting..........ack
heh

New research shows, that the Universe is football shaped. If you leave it from one end, you will come back at the other end. Therefore, the Universe is not infinite.

So if you go to one end of the universe you will end up on the opposite side? Thats very odd.

Originally posted by SpockO_o
So if you go to one end of the universe you will end up on the opposite side? Thats very odd.

If wouldn't techniclly be an end. Can you find the end of a basket ball?

Two things...

One, IF the universe is infinte THEN everything that can exist does exist. Therefore assuming infinite space, Klingons DO exist. This also would include infite duplicates of each of us

Now, as for going off one "side" of the universe just to appear on the other there are two miscionceptions. First, the KNOWN universe is football shaped...we don't know it in it's entirety. Second, its not that you go "off" one side and come back on the other, but rather they touch....Its an enclosed geometic space.

Originally posted by Quest
Two things...

One, IF the universe is infinte THEN everything that can exist does exist. Therefore assuming infinite space, Klingons DO exist. This also would include infite duplicates of each of us

Exactly my thoughts, thanks.

New research shows, that the Universe is football shaped. If you leave it from one end, you will come back at the other end. Therefore, the Universe is not infinite.

Aye, but it's the "known" universe, what if you went to the outer reaches of the universe, then saw that it didn't end, but went further, we just couldn't see that from Earth and if you carried on "forward", earth would dissapear off the scope (If that makes sense)

Maybe the Earth is the centre of the viewable universe, but not the whole universe.

Originally posted by Quest
Two things...

One, IF the universe is infinte THEN everything that can exist does exist. Therefore assuming infinite space, Klingons DO exist. This also would include infite duplicates of each of us

Not too sure how you came to the conclusion that infinite space(room)= every species you can or cant imagine exists.

One thing that has always boggled my mind is this: Infinity cannot be real, as everything has a beginning and an end, or goes round in a loop or circle. So, when known space "ends", what is after that? ANd after that, what comes next? Its almost immpossible to come to terms with the sheer size. If someone has scientific proof that infinity is possible, not including loops, please post up the info.

Also if our universe is one giant sphere(not truly infinite as it is purely a joined up line, what is on the outside of this "bubble"?

See that was what I stated in my original post. The word infinite is easy, the concept much more difficult, I don't claim to know it. Maybe Hawkings does. The fact that existense is, means that the "infinite" exists. You can't have one without the other.

Intrepid Physics 101: Existence = Infinities existence. From a focal point out, there can be no end. If there is? What's beyond?

[edit on 30-7-2004 by intrepid]

The person who posted the thread unwittingly brings up a good point: Does infinity offer limitless possibilities?

Well, of course we know the Universe is not exactly infinite in size, shape, and longevity. However, some theorize that human imagination is inspiration from the creator. Therefor, human imagination cannot be greater than the imagination that spawned the universe. Fact truly is stranger than fiction.

It's unlikely that the species portrayed in Star Trek exist in the Universe, simply because Star Trek is complete fiction. It is likely that there are other cultures out there that are even more amazing. I doubt there is a planet Vulcan with Vulcans on it who have long ears and green blood and go into pon far (sp?) when they need to mate and stay completely logical at all times. However it's possible or even likely that somewhere out there exist humanoids who have some traits in common with Vulcans.

Originally posted by taibunsuu
Well, of course we know the Universe is not exactly infinite in size, shape, and longevity. However, some theorize that human imagination is inspiration from the creator. Therefor, human imagination cannot be greater than the imagination that spawned the universe. Fact truly is stranger than fiction

Fact is that there is only reality. Once you have reality, you have fact.

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by taibunsuu
Well, of course we know the Universe is not exactly infinite in size, shape, and longevity. However, some theorize that human imagination is inspiration from the creator. Therefor, human imagination cannot be greater than the imagination that spawned the universe. Fact truly is stranger than fiction

Fact is that there is only reality. Once you have reality, you have fact.

I'm not sure what you're saying here.

Hey, good question Deimos.

I had heard this once, if the universe was infinite you would have infinite possbilities.

e.g your playing snooker and you hit the ball, it would its possible this ball could keep moving and moving and not stoping

and if true, how could you rule out such life existing

hehe. hope this makes sense, maybe am wrong but am sure it was something like that

rynaldo

Even if it's not infinite there's stars enough to fulfill every star-trek-lovers wettest dream. There's

* ten times more than the number of grains of sand on Earth
* eleven times the number of cups of water in all the Earth's oceans
* ten thousand times the number of wheat kernels that have ever been produced on Earth
* one hundred million times more than the number of ants in all the world
* one hundred million times the dollar value of all the market-priced assets in the world
* ten billion times the number of cells in a human being
* one hundred billion times the number of letters in the 14 million books in the Library of Congress

Cheers

New research shows, that the Universe is football shaped. If you leave it from one end, you will come back at the other end. Therefore, the Universe is not infinite.

Yep...just like everything else we see in the universe (though I'm betting it's more spherical, flattened spherical in nature)... Of course, I've felt this since I was a kid...as it just made sense. It's like trying to walk to the ends of the Earth. Eventually, you'll just end back up where you started...

As for the Trek races...I find it difficult to believe that almost all intelligent life would be bipedal humanoids with slightly different noses, haircuts, and skin tones, but hey, that's just me... What is the Trek obsession with noses? Need a new Trek alien race? Just add something to the nose!

i definately agree that the klingons exist somewhere in the universe. using the same logic, the entire star wars saga actually has taken place somewhere in the universe. which also means that jar jar binks exists somewhere out there. motherf@#$!