Why is the universe so big?

Simple question. Why is it so big? I have always believed that there is a logic and intelligence behind creation, rather than just a chaos of probabilities (or perhaps they work in combination.) This is a personal belief, not an ideology that I am trying to push here. Please do not turn this into a theist vs. atheist debacle.

Although unpredictably wondrous, the universe seems to be a pretty logical place. It has laws, constants, and organization. It has a rulebook. Mechanisms such as physics and chemistry cannot be argued with. From the smallest subatomic particles to the largest supercluster galaxies, there are rules, there is order, there is logic. So, I ask again, why is the universe so unfathomanly huge? What is the purpose of such a design? How does its size support law and organization?

I can’t see any logic in the universe being so expansive. If there is to be other life out in the universe, it seems we’re all doomed to being too impossibly spaced apart that we are permanently isolated.

I tend to look at things as reflections, as philosophical metaphors. I tend to think that there is a lesson to be learned in all aspects of nature. Afterall, isn’t mother nature the best engineer, chemist, and physicist? So what is the metaphor, what is the lesson to be learned with the size of our universe?

Now, I expect one camp of answers to look something like, “Well, there is no intelligence behind creation and the universe isn’t meant for you.”

Indeed, perhaps the question was inspired by my own hubris. But, if you’re going to lean towards that answer, can you at least provide some cool, scientific facts about the universe?

I’m really just trying to think outside the box here with this philosophical question. I am curious what others have to say because I don’t think I’ve ever had this discussion with anyone, although have thought about it myself a couple of times.

And well, I know this has been passed around before..but maybe you can take a look at this while thinking about an answer: scaleofuniverse.com...

As above, so below. THREADI think we as a species haven't even come close to understanding how big this thing called existence is. I think it very well may be immeasurable, and that's very difficult for humans to grasp, the idea that this thing may be infinite.Awesome thread. S&F

reply to post by GD21D


Thanks for a refresher with that thread Very cool idea.

I have considered that possibility before. Is it expanding as an organism does? But still, why, from our perspective, does it have to be so big?

I just think it's silly for the universe to be teeming with life (which I suspect is the case) if we can't even know it or interact with it.

Maybe it's just to give us a slice of cosmic humble pie

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


The Universe that we realize is not big. Think of our universe as just one leaf on a tree. Go look at a tree with all it's leaves in a forest then look at the forest. The forest is part of this planet and the planet is part of a universe again. We are just an electron around an atom in the leaf of one tree. Our universe being big is not true, it is small.

Its "big" because we are putting a man made concept on it.. "Size"..

Size is kinda like time.... what is big to us. might be insignificant to someone else...a single atom might be a universe to some entity we can't even fathom... and the cycle continues.

reply to post by luciddream


Men In Black photo?

But why??? I wanna be part of the universe, not just a hopelessly small speck. We can't even meet our space brothers and space sisters.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha

I have considered that possibility before. Is it expanding as an organism does? But still, why, from our perspective, does it have to be so big?

Why does the atom have to be so big, asked the Boson.

Maybe it's not that big, maybe it's just about perspective. Maybe our entire universe is merely an electron circling a nucleus . It's only big from your perspective.

Or, as one theory goes.. Maybe our entire universe is nothing but the 2D event horizon of a super massive blackhole and this whole 3d reality we experience is merely a hologram.

As the human mind can not comprehend the complete absence of everything, I don't think we'll ever fully grasp the scope of the universe, it's so big that the numbers become meaningless to us.

Then again, maybe it's tiny and we're just really really small.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


Well, one way or the other, something's gotta give! I'm getting impatient with my limited perspective.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha

Why is it so big? I have always believed that there is a logic and intelligence behind creation, rather than just a chaos of probabilities (or perhaps they work in combination.)

Size is entirely dependent upon perspective. Maybe it's not so big after all. Maybe it is just us, whom are very very small.

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha

Although unpredictably wondrous, the universe seems to be a pretty logical place. It has laws, constants, and organization. It has a rulebook. Mechanisms such as physics and chemistry cannot be argued with. From the smallest subatomic particles to the largest supercluster galaxies, there are rules, there is order, there is logic.

Maybe.... Maybe not. That is an assumption, and nothing more.

Quantum Physics has been shown to contradict rules of Classic Physics. That small detail alone, is enough to shed doubt onto the idea that the laws which govern this area, will hold true all throughout the entire Universe. That is something that we just could not possibly know.

My logic tells me the "universe" is infinity

If there should be a "wall" at some point.. there must be something behind it
if one would suggest the universe curves into a ball.. whats outside the ball ?

infinity..

Originally posted by Spacespider
My logic tells me the "universe" is infinity

If there should be a "wall" at some point.. there must be something behind it
if one would suggest the universe curves into a ball.. whats outside the ball ?

infinity..

I'm kinda partial to the torus (doughnut) shaped universe. Large enough it's endless, you never reach a wall, but as a whole, it's finite. The illusion of infinity. I'm sure there's science behind the theory, but i got it from Homer Simpson lol

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha

Well, one way or the other, something's gotta give! I'm getting impatient with my limited perspective.

Haha, at least you are honest about it. It's one of those things that once man began to look into it, it becomes one of those "why are we here?" type questions, that might never be solved.

Why is the universe as it is with the laws that make it work? Because every possible combination has played out and we can only experience the one habitable for us, this one.

the funny thing about the laws of the universe. Quantum mechanics and traditional physics don't match up perfectly.

Traditional physics says, that object is there, it's solid. Quantum mechanics states that no, that object is mostly nothing, and the particles that make it up are constantly fluctuating.

Traditional physics when applied at the quantum level fall apart, just as quantum mechanics falls apart at the macroscopic level.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


I wouldn't go as far to say it has rules based on our understanding of Physics and Chemistry. We don't really know truths, we just have theories that are disproved yearly. We will never know the truth in regards to how amazing the universe is and all that it entails. I do believe the universe is connected in a way we can't comprehend. We are the universe and hopefully one day we learn some truths.

If God created the universe why is it so big? We don't need the space. It's cool to look at but that's about it.

It would take 2-3 generations of human life to reach the closest solar system.

A velvet curtain with pin holes in it would serve the same purpose as the universe we see.

Intelligent? or wasteful?

reply to post by NONPOINT21

I wouldn't go as far to say it has rules based on our understanding of Physics and Chemistry. We don't really know truths, we just have theories that are disproved yearly.

Eh, we have plenty of concrete "truths" as well.

here's the thing about science. You can have a theory, that is wrong, but still produces the correct results every time, making the theory as good as truth.

We don't fully understand gravity, the first force truly discovered, but we have a pretty darn good theory on it, that holds up under every single test ever produced.

Science isn't about dictating everything. It's about learning, a theory is a theory until after enough tests, it can be considered to be truth.

We don't know why gravity works, we don't know the actual mechanics of it, but with out limited theory, we can use it, plan for it, and test it, and it has yet to fail.

Originally posted by InverseLookingGlass
A velvet curtain with pin holes in it would serve the same purpose as the universe we see.

Intelligent? or wasteful?

Hmm, good point, the universe does seem like a pretty wasteful use of space I hadn't considered that. Thanks for challenging my current beliefs. That's what I'm here for

reply to post by InverseLookingGlass

If God created the universe why is it so big? We don't need the space. It's cool to look at but that's about it.

i don't believe in God, but I'll bite.

What better way to ensure man, your creation, spreads out into the cosmos? What's the one thing that all humans share? Curiosity, it's the spark of intelligence. What better way to ensure your creation reaches it's full potential? I think putting a vast, gorgeous universe above their heads to ponder is a logical step.

Why did they find the new world? Cause someone looked out to the horizon and said, what the hell is over there now? And they went to investigate.

such is the universe.

100 years ago, people rarely left the town they were born in. Now, we can get on a jet and go to the other side of the planet.

Relative distance is proportionate to technological advances. The more we advance, the shorter even formerly unfathomable distances will become.

If you were talking with someone 200 years ago, and said we could go from New York to London in 3 hours, they would have though you were mad. Yet, when the Concorde was flying, this was reality.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Because you are small ?


Further.
What appears vast on your level of existence may not be on another.
the atomic level of existence is a great example of this.

Why is the universe so big?

I'm going to blame it on "Milky Way" I crack me up.