2006-06-22 04:47:00 · 12 answers · asked by midget the bridget 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
There are three possibilities, depending on solutions to the equations of General Relativity and how much mass is in the universe:
1. the universe will stop expanding and then collapse in on itself to a big crunch
2. the universe will keep expanding for ever
3. the universe will reach a "stable size" - neither collapse nor expand forever
No-one knows which.
2006-06-22 05:00:56 · answer #1 · answered by Epidavros 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No scientific theory is ever "confirmed", if by "confirmed" you mean "proved."
However, theories can be confirmed many times by experiments ... with the understanding that some experiment someday may fail to confirm the theory and at that point we will need to fix the theory or find a new one.
The Big Bang theory has been confirmed many times by observations (e.g. measuring the expansion of the universe, the nature of the background radiation, etc.) But some time in the future some experiment may fail to confirm the theory.
As for "running out of room", there is no indication that there is a finite amount of room. There may be other limits, for example, there may be so much matter that the collective gravity of the universe places a limit on how far it will expand. We're still trying to determine if there is such a limit. We don't know yet.
2006-06-22 16:35:55 · answer #2 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While few people have seen the obituary, an article by Andrei Linde in the November 1994 Scientific American (pp. 48-55) reveals that the Big Bang Theory has been scientifically brain dead for a long time. Dr. Linde, a professor of physics at Stanford, discusses six of the overwhelming problems in the theory that have been known, but not widely publicized, for many years.
2006-06-27 01:51:29 · answer #3 · answered by destineypyle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I read something about this a few years ago, I believe. There was one theory (not widely accepted yet) that soon, the universe might run thin at one particular spot, and snap, and divide the big universe into two universes. Kinda of like if you pull some chew gum apart, soon it starts to thin out, and then it snaps. This was just a little theory though, there are tons more out there.
2006-06-22 11:58:27 · answer #4 · answered by Cap'n Eridani 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It won't run out of room becuase it isn't expanding INTO anything. However, it is possible that it would shrink back. That depends on whether there is enough matter in the universe to stop the expansion. Nobody know the exact answer to this, of course, but right now it looks like there isn't.
2006-06-22 11:58:07 · answer #5 · answered by evil_tiger_lily 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i am interested into where the big bang has been confirmed. seeing as how its based on tightly constricted formula and we dont have enough energy in the galaxy to produce a model
i must have missed that article where it was proved....
and the universe wont stop expanding because it wont run into anything, it may shrink eventually, but what is there to hit? more than likely it like time goes on out to infinity...
2006-06-22 13:18:44 · answer #6 · answered by jasonalwaysready 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Universe Drags its space along with it, so that it cannot run out of room, it might run out of elasticity and snap back, but I think the jury is out on that, it seems to be accelerating its expansion instead.
2006-06-22 11:59:24 · answer #7 · answered by pechorin1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the universe will begin contracting again and when there is no more room to contract, the big bang happens all over again.
2006-06-22 12:29:54 · answer #8 · answered by boricua82991 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it has not been confirmed, a lot of evidence helps the theory, but I can gaurantee you if it was proved it would be all over the news and everyone religious would be questioning their faith.
2006-06-22 19:00:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The universe will explode.
2006-06-22 11:53:59 · answer #10 · answered by vs1h 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋