Where is the end of the universe? is there one? if yes, what is behind the end? Another universe? nothing? so when there is nothing, where is the end of nothing? I might be narrow minded and stupid for thinking that an end is not possible, yet there must be one somewhere,.. I`d like to know if you`ve ever thought about it and if so what you think! Thank you for your answers!
- Keep on thinking!
2006-08-31 01:08:45 · 54 answers · asked by Egemen 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
There are a few theories pertaining to the finiteness of the Universe.
Some ideas propose the Universe to be, literally, infinite in all direations - no matter how far you go, you'll /never/ get to the end, and you'll /never/ get home again. It just goes on, and on, and on, past any sane human reckoning, at the speed of light, forever.
Some other ideas propose the idea that the Universe is a great hypersphere, and we're just residents on its 3d "surface" or "brane", as another idea calls it - imagine it as like bacteria living on the surface of a ball. It's infinite, but if you travel far enough you'll get back to where you started.
Another idea proposes that the universe condensed out of a primal Chaos, and one day it will, like a soap bubble, dissolve back into that formless Chaos. That's the Fiat Nox hypothesis of Peter J Carroll.
But there's one other idea I'll describe here for you.
Imagine that ball I talked about earlier, floating in suspension in a sea of other balls. All these balls are of different sizes, and more or less what lies between these balls are more balls, smaller and smaller, each containing a whole universe unto itself, like frothy carbonated water. There's no medium between them - just more balls, formed from branes, a fractal storm of them, each ball being a full size 'verse, regardless of its apparent size "outside" it.
And that multiverse, that suspension, goes on forever, in directions humans can't even begin to fathom, possibly beyond what we could sanely consider "forever". Just endless 'verses, all packed together cheek by jowl.
Now that's /my/ idea.
2006-09-06 08:19:10 · answer #1 · answered by fiat_knox 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We (mankind) do not really know the answer, for it depends on the facts the universe is based on (e.g. open or closed?)
However, imagine the following:
If you are on earth on the 50st floor of a skysraper, you can look in a 100 miles distnce and you'll see another tower there at the horizon. But this is not the edge of the earth, right? If you go there to this other scyscraper, you can again go up to the 50th floor and look another 100 miles into the direction away from the first point and go there and start all over again and so on ....
That way you'd get around the earth without ever finding an end or an edge .
And so is the universe. The only difference is, of course the size, but also the shape. Just don't try to imagine it as anything, it won't work. Just imagine it as something you can go further and further further and will never come to an end.
2006-08-31 01:29:34 · answer #2 · answered by jhstha 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This Is why I love Astronomy. I have read all answers and found them all interesting (well maybe not all!!!)
The answer is: we will never know what lies behind the universe as we will never see, hear, feel or perceive it. We as human beings are incapable of reaching the end of solar system let alone the edge of every thing. And we will be long extinct well before we get any were near it.
However I will add my thoughts. Since the big bang the universe has been expanding at speeds we will never be able to accomplish. Though scientists now believe the rate of expansion is slowing, the rate of new stars being born is dwindling - In other words the universe is tiring.
So presume we don't need to travel faster than light to pass all of those millions (Billions??) of Galaxies on our way to the edge of the universe.
What we will find is nothing, blackness, no light, no matter, no anti-matter, no nothing. Zilch. Everything that could have become something, already has and is part of the universe.
Try to Imagine falling with black bag on your head forever? That is what I think is behind/next to/at the end of the universe.
Cheers
2006-08-31 01:42:53 · answer #3 · answered by rusty_2003uk 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you could take the universe and condese it down so you could put it on your desk an look at it you would see that it is infact a sphere. The universe is an expanding shock wave full of dark matter. Anyway the answer to your question is no you can't come to the end of the universe beacuse it is in fact a sphere. Every thing in space has the same basic shape. This question is the exact same question as the explorers asked themselves. "What if I fell off the edge of the world?????", of course they then found out that the world is in fact round. Every planet, every solar system and the universe has the same basic shape. It is a sphere.
The universe is expanding at the moment but one theory is that it will stop and start shrinking again. This would then compress all the matter and "renew" the universe.
I'm sure you have also heard the theories of try to cut the fabraic of the universe. ie. insted of going around the universe in a sphere we could take a straight line to where we want to go.
2006-09-05 21:19:33 · answer #4 · answered by DaGetz 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It is good for you to think this way it shows you are curious and observant. There are many astronomers who think like you and are getting paid for it. Like you not one of those astonomers have the faintest idea about where or how the universe came about. There Knowledge is far greater than ours but only in theory. So don't be afraid of thinking and exchanging ideas, that is how we learn.
The big bang doesn't explain how we got here, it explains a possible one stage back in space time. Your line of thought extends before the big bang and questions existance. It also dables in the theory of reality ''what is real''. If you asked a person in the street am I real? they would prbably ask you to see a Pschiatrist but its a perfectly relevent question asked by the top 10% of learned people. The answers obvious to people who have not thought about it: ''I can touch you'' ;I can see you'' ;I can hear you, what more do you want, of course your real. Well, that may be the case but if the big bang (always assuming the astonomers and pysisists are right about the bang) did happen then what happened before that? did reality start at the milli second the bang occured? Who is to judge reality?, only one specis we know of is able to judge the diference. Guess who that is?, I will tell you. Man is the only specis to determine the existance of reality.
A further question is what is reality to man? we can think up an answer out of thin air ''God'' we cry ''because he made us'' but is there any real evidence to suport this? ans No! it only complcates matters, you know, 'Who made God'? and 'who made the creator of God? ect, anyway, if you read Geneses you will find God was not exactly alone, where did his sons come from and why did they mess with earths women.
Ive probably bored you to tears, the theory of reality is mind bending stuff but don,t stop thinking or let anybody undermine your thoughts becase there different.
All the best
2006-09-02 23:08:54 · answer #5 · answered by Redmonk 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There was infinitely nothing. Then the universe filled it. The universe must be infinite.
It is possible that there are a finite number of stars, planets, asteroids, comets, etc. but it seems that every time we can see a little bit farther over the horizon, there's another huge number of stars and planets. The galaxies are moving father apart in a cosmic cloud. The cosmic cloud provides fuel for the creation of more stars and planets and existing stars and planets. The creation of stars and planets is an ongoing process that is infinite.
If you think about how things explode, there are numerous little bits and pieces and there are bigger chunks that survive intact and are propelled outwardly from the center of the explosion or, in this case, expansion. It is possible that these larger chunks created more clumps of stars and planets that could be called universes if the term is redefined.
2006-08-31 02:05:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The universe is of a finite size, even if it is growing. So that means for us it is all there is, as we are inside it. However, many people believe in the multi-verse theory, which is that outside this universe is an infinate number of other similar universes, but we are not connected to them through black holes or anything, as tv would have you believe. THough I think our universe is just that, a one, on it's own, with nothing outside it, and no way of leaving anyway, as where ever you go in space, you'll always end up back where you started (in a few billion years or so) .
2006-09-04 20:40:02 · answer #7 · answered by fatal_essence 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Scowie, what are you affirming the universe is static? this is been commonly used for your time it maximum deffinetly is increasing and maximum deffinetly had a beginning on the vast bang. As for understanding "what's behind the universe" you could understand 3 and 4th dimensional area. The universe isn't only a 2 dimensional sheet this is 3 dimensional. outdoors of the universe is void or nothingness wich you maximum likley in no way get to, it clauses of no time (wich is countless time) As for hues it may be be black in concept even even with the undeniable fact that you wouldent be in a position to ensure it. The universe is all there is, except you consider the multiverse.
2016-12-06 00:57:48 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have always tried sooo many times to get an answer to that answer but it always ends up as a giant debate or people thinking I need help. Normally, no-one likes to question the unknown in the event they might appear stupid to others. Being a mathematician, I reckon the universe is unbounded and therefore infinite. So that would have to mean that it is always expanding at a rate faster than we can acknowledge. However that is only my opinion but prepare for a world of headaches if you really wanna pursue this question.
2006-08-31 01:27:45 · answer #9 · answered by Sugababe 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is something i have often wondered myself, i also wonder what would happen if we sent a rocket into outter space that just kept goin upwards (i no this isnt possible because of the lack of gravity), would it reach higher realms? etc.
I have a theory tho on whats at the end of the universe as we know it - i think that there is another dimension, or alternate reality, maybe even whole new universe who knows we just dont have the means or technology to find out.
2006-08-31 01:20:00 · answer #10 · answered by celtic_princess77 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋