I forget where I saw this theory, can anyone refresh my memory?
2006-09-25 09:55:56 · 8 answers · asked by frostbitten 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I suspect that you saw this analogy in a discussion of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), which is a space probe that allowed us to make a detailed study of the cosmic microwave background radiation.
Scientists analysing the data from WMAP have attempted to test various possibilities for the shape of the universe. One possibility is that the universe is finite and space curves back on itself. In such a universe, it is possible that looking out in different directions in space, you would see multiple images of the early universe, like looking into one of two facing mirrors. Scientists studying the WMAP data actually looked for those multiple images, and there were articles in the popular press that discussed this and used the double mirror analogy. For example, here is a link to a 2003 article in The New Scientist discussing the "hall of mirrors" effect:
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4250
By the way, the scientists did not find those multiple images. Although they cannot rule out the possibility that space does curve back on itself on a scale too large for us to observe, space appears flat as far out as we can see.
2006-09-25 10:31:54 · answer #1 · answered by Jack D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no one knows for sure whether or not the universe is infinite or how it is infinite if it is. The leading theories suggest that either the universe simply goes on forever in all directions and that's it.
The other theory is that the universe circles around on itself. This means that if you were to continue in a direction for an extremely very really long time, you would come back to where you started. Currently, we can see about 15 billion lightyears away and there is no evidence of any circle effect, so for what we can know, it is infinite in all directions
2006-09-25 16:59:57 · answer #2 · answered by Greg G 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Impossible to answer really as nobody knows. But if big bang theory is correct then the universe is not infinite. Although it may as well be as you could never reach the edge because space-time is curved, and you would end up back where you started.
2006-09-25 17:06:51 · answer #3 · answered by Hello Dave 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might have seen it in connection with "String Theory", which at least allows for the possibility that within this universe are many other smaller universes. Our universe is expanding; if there are smaller universes within ours, which are expanding less rapidly, then we would never notice them. There could be smaller universes within these, too; and our own universe could be within another larger one -- so that is reminiscent of an image that is reflected again and again within mirrors. It is analogous to some fractal geometries.
2006-09-25 17:06:03 · answer #4 · answered by artful dodger 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe not - but it may be infinite in the sense of two faces mirroring each other!? I supect there may be a fundamental truth hidden in this reply but I'm not sure what it is.
2006-09-25 17:17:17 · answer #5 · answered by explorer267 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
wow! what a question!!
i cant say definitely either way, but one instant there is no image and the next there appears to be an infinite nuber of reflections. would this mean that the reflections, if infinite are travelling faster than light?
2006-09-25 18:06:08 · answer #6 · answered by frankiethebear2002 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
The universe can be considered to be infinite in that the edge is impossible to reach as it is moving away to fast - but finite because there IS an edge.
2006-09-25 17:40:04 · answer #7 · answered by Mark G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very good question...they say the universe is expanding all the time BUT what is it expanding into?????
2006-09-25 17:04:00 · answer #8 · answered by Kermanzo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋