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Flirting with Infinity

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jonnythan On August 02, 2014
Bringer of rad mirth


Deleted



Here and there,
#196New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:20:11
Whether space is infinite or finite, it definitely has no boundary.

Think of the surface of a balloon that's being blown up. It has no boundary, yet it is finite.
desperadO On May 04, 2009

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prisoner, United Kingdom
#197New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:20:50
the thing i like to ponder is why don't you put a s on math
skottie On September 23, 2009

Deleted



, Texas
#198New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:22:47
@jonnythan Said

Whether space is infinite or finite, it definitely has no boundary.

Think of the surface of a balloon that's being blown up. It has no boundary, yet it is finite.



i like the fact that we don't know all the answers yet.
skottie On September 23, 2009

Deleted



, Texas
#199New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:23:49
@desperadO Said

the thing i like to ponder is why don't you put a s on math



that's snot funny
desperadO On May 04, 2009

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prisoner, United Kingdom
#200New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:30:20
i thought it was a perfectly good intellectual question
AgentSmith On December 25, 2008




,
#201New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:34:18
@skottie Said

It is hard to begin to even imagine that space does not have an end/boundary.

The thing I like to ponder is that if there was a big bang that created all of this stuff we call space, and space is expanding. What is space filling into? What is this void of expanse that the universe fills?


There's the problem. I think space is just an idea, like a universal set. The set is a product of the elements it contains. It has no separate existence. Being an idea, therefore it entertains the possibility of being infinite.

@jonnythan Said

Whether space is infinite or finite, it definitely has no boundary.

Think of the surface of a balloon that's being blown up. It has no boundary, yet it is finite.


Even if there were boundaries, would we be able to detect them?
AgentSmith On December 25, 2008




,
#202New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:37:14
@desperadO Said

the thing i like to ponder is why don't you put a s on math



...to add to the confusion...
jonnythan On August 02, 2014
Bringer of rad mirth


Deleted



Here and there,
#203New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:40:44
@AgentSmith Said
Even if there were boundaries, would we be able to detect them?


The idea of a boundary doesn't make any logical sense. If there's a boundary that exists in our 3-D space, there's something that exists beyond the boundary, and therefore the boundary is not the boundary of the universe.
desperadO On May 04, 2009

Deleted



prisoner, United Kingdom
#204New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:46:51
@AgentSmith Said

...to add to the confusion...



yes i like too
skottie On September 23, 2009

Deleted



, Texas
#205New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:48:40
@jonnythan Said

The idea of a boundary doesn't make any logical sense. If there's a boundary that exists in our 3-D space, there's something that exists beyond the boundary, and therefore the boundary is not the boundary of the universe.



Do you agree with the theory of the Big Bang?

Assuming that it is a correct theory then there was / is a boundary of the original bang. It may be super thin or almost nonexistent as this time, but there still was/is a boundary.

And that goes back to, what is the big bang expanding into?
jonnythan On August 02, 2014
Bringer of rad mirth


Deleted



Here and there,
#206New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:52:10
@skottie Said

Do you agree with the theory of the Big Bang?


It's the most supported, logical theory. So, I think it's probably close to the truth.

@skottie Said
Assuming that it is a correct theory then there was / is a boundary of the original bang. It may be super thin or almost nonexistent as this time, but there still was/is a boundary.

And that goes back to, what is the big bang expanding into?


No, this is incorrect. Unfortunately, being a relatively simple and easy concept, the meaning of "the big bang" gets lost to people who don't have a physics or topology background. Don't worry, your view is an extraordinarily common misconception.

"The Big Bang" doesn't refer to some tiny bit of matter suddenly exploding and expanding into the space around it. It refers to the universe itself undergoing sudden, massive expansion.
AgentSmith On December 25, 2008




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#207New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:55:38
@jonnythan Said

The idea of a boundary doesn't make any logical sense. If there's a boundary that exists in our 3-D space, there's something that exists beyond the boundary, and therefore the boundary is not the boundary of the universe.


A very strong argument BUT what if I were to say that the surface of a tennis ball is a 2 dimensional finite but boundless world. Yet we exist outside it.
jonnythan On August 02, 2014
Bringer of rad mirth


Deleted



Here and there,
#208New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 20:57:44
@AgentSmith Said

A very strong argument BUT what if I were to say that the surface of a tennis ball is a 2 dimensional finite but boundless world. Yet we exist outside it.


Indeed, but the 2-D "surface" of a ball is only an analogy to help you conceptualize or picture what I'm talking about. It's not an exact representation.

But think of this. To 2-dimensional inhabitants of the 2-D "universe" of the surface of the ball, we don't exist. They have no way to comprehend, imagine, picture, visualize, or detect the existence of anything in the third dimension.
skottie On September 23, 2009

Deleted



, Texas
#209New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 21:07:20
@jonnythan Said

No, this is incorrect. Unfortunately, being a relatively simple and easy concept, the meaning of "the big bang" gets lost to people who don't have a physics or topology background. Don't worry, your view is an extraordinarily common misconception.

"The Big Bang" doesn't refer to some tiny bit of matter suddenly exploding and expanding into the space around it. It refers to the universe itself undergoing sudden, massive expansion.



ok, so my wording is a bit off in the whole big bang concept. but there is still an expansion going on. we have observed from the red shift of galaxies. can we not conclude that the universe is expanding? so my question would be what is the universe expanding into? or am i just so completely lost i need to keep my mouth shut?

it sounds like i need to go back to school on some of this stuff.
jonnythan On August 02, 2014
Bringer of rad mirth


Deleted



Here and there,
#210New Post! Nov 26, 2008 @ 21:09:08
@skottie Said

ok, so my wording is a bit off in the whole big bang concept. but there is still an expansion going on. we have observed from the red shift of galaxies. can we not conclude that the universe is expanding? so my question would be what is the universe expanding into? or am i just so completely lost i need to keep my mouth shut?

it sounds like i need to go back to school on some of this stuff.


The universe itself is expanding. It doesn't need anything to expand into. Reality is expanding.

If the universe is expanding "into" something, it's expanding into a fourth dimension that we are unable to conceptualize or perceive. However, if the universe is infinite, it can't be expanding into anything.

There is no "boundary" to the universe.
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