the universe

[cotambear]

how can it be both finite and infinite at the same time?

[gen2]

God knows.

. . . anyway, I always understood it was infinite and bounded. Has someone done a make-over on it recently?

[Jenarry]

Because every action has an equal and opposite reaction

[bernardo]

It can't be infinite and bounded. It can either be finite and bounded, finite and unbounded, or infinite and unbounded. I think it's finite and unbounded. It can't be both finite *and* infinite.

[Garth Vader]

Its pretty complicated but one explanation is that the universe loops back on itself so your position in the universe is like being on the surface of a huge balloon - you could keep moving around on it forever and it would appear to carry on infinitely but for an external observer they would see that it is confined to a definate space. This is only one suggestion though.What really makes the brain hurt is when you try to find out what all this superstring theory stuff is about. Don't even go there....

[potterfan3]

There is an infinite number of finite universes

[mibn2cweus]

When we say that something is infinite we are simply confessing our ignorance. This is not necessarily a bad thing as this is the first step in learning something new.

The term �infinity� may properly be used to describe something that is immeasurable. Once we define the object or attribute we are discussing we invariably find that it exists in a measurable quantity even though we may not yet know precisely what that quantity is.

In the evolution of our knowledge our concept of time was radically redefined only a century ago. Most of us are still grappling with this �new� concept of time but the old one still serves us well for most purposes and gave us a wealth of understanding about the universe in which we live.

We are beginning to develop a basic picture of what our universe looks like. Based on what we have been able to see so far it appears to have a dimension of size which is expanding at an accelerating rate in all directions. The further out into the past we look the faster objects appear to be moving away from us. This implies that about 13-14 billion years ago it began from a common point of origin from which it should have collapsed into one giant black hole. Since we currently have only this one universe to look at it is difficult to understand why our present universe came to be instead. We may yet need to discern an even more advanced concept of time (and space) before we learn where, why and how our universe came to be what it is now.

When it comes to infinity the real fun has just begun.</A>

[mibn2cweus]

Size and age of the universe.

[doglady]

No no no no no. People aren't designed to think like this. Now everyone stop it, and go back to your join the dots.

[curlyfilm]

funny because here in portsmouth hants, in the solent are forts, in the forts are fresh water wells, which are dug under the sea bed, now these were only constructed in the late 1800's
the problem is we do not know (presently) how they knew there was fresh water under the seabed

so how do we know what happened billions of years ago,

sorry i think its all an educated guess, come next century we will have a different answer or opinion

[curlyfilm]

sorry garth but if we do leave the earth and travel in one direction and return too the same spot eventually, what is outside where we travel, and what if i travelled from a planet light years away, and the same will happen what shape is the universe,
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
makes me small head hurt

[Benjiman]

as i believe - the way mpost people would consider the edge of the universe would be where matter ends and nothing begins, as the universe is expanding the boundary is ever increasing. As there is this boundary the universe is finite as everything is inclosed within it.

But then the space in which the universe can expand into is infinite, ie the universe isnt going to expand and then suddenly slam into a wall which contains the universe (at least it hasnt happened yet)

[Mastermind]

I may be wroug but I am sure that some scientist said that space is oval and if you travealled to one end of space you would come back on oppersit end
kind of like behind your course
sounds daft but Im sure that is what some guy said.