how can the universe be inifinate?

Question

In a religious sense, it is impossible for the universe to be inifinate, because this would mean that God(s) is(are) part of our universe and therefore bound by universal law (contradictary of the christian God who is said to be transcendant).

But if the universe is not inifinate, but finite, then it expanding..but onto what? And something that expands, contracts.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

Ugh! God? Stop people from saying 'infinite'!

Why do people just not understand how freakin big that is?

I dunno where you got the idea that the Universe is infinite, but that's not what the current model indicate. As was said by another, somthing infinite cannot be expanding because it's already as big as it can possibly be. It's got nothing to do with God.

We, as scientists, don't ask if God did it. We ask HOW God did it, assuming there is even a God to do it and that God had any involvment. We cannot quantify, test, or observe God so we simply do not include God in the math.

For example, we cannot prove that the eintire Universe is just our senses being fooled into believing a fabricated reality and that we don't exist somewhere else as brains in a jar. Sounds crazy, sure, but we can't prove it isn't true. Either way, it doesn't change anything, so we just don't think about it.

There are a few interpertations of what the end of the Universe will look like, all of them are disputed.

As you said, one possibility is the Big Crunch. We run out of dark matter and the space/time bubble we live in snaps back on itself like a stretched rubberband.

The Big Rip hypothisises that the Universe will start to expland so fast that the very structure of existance is so warped that structures can no longer exist. Atoms themselves tear appart at the seams.

Then, there's the Big Chill. Though not as exciting and sexy as the other notions, this is my favorite. In the Big Chill model, nothing happens. The Universe is just an enormous burst of energy and material that decays via entrophy. Eventualy, all the Stars burn out and can't burn anymore, the white dwarfs radiate off their heat and all that's left is cold, dark matter floating in a tepid bath of background radiation.

Answer 2

As per Quantron theory and General relativity theory the Universe is finite . If this is so then there is a restrain that hold all the Galaxies therein as part of a space substance and mass constriction.
It is because of a finite Universe being a constricted containment that every mass structure is in continual motion. If there was no constriction of the Containment ,nothing would ever move.Only a premordial substance stuck at one point with no structure or motion.
The observed expansion is only a gravitational equilibrium process. As a galaxy increases in mass it must increase its radius in order to maintain momentum and orbital equilibrium.
There is nothing mysterious about expansion ,if the Gravitational energy phenomena is really understood.
However it does not mean that the Universe celestial bodies will expand their radii beyond the constrained Universe boundary.

Answer 3

The universe is expanding and based on current models will never contract.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_fate_of_the_universe

Anyway, it's not infinite, it's finite.

As to what it's expanding INTO - it's expanding into nothingness. Absolute, total nothingness. Outside of the borders of the Universe there is no time, no gravity, and no physical laws (because there's nothing for the physical laws ot apply TO).

As an aside, the universe doesn't have an edge, though it does have borders. It's like being inside a basketball - you reach a point where you can't go out, and you can only go sideways.

Answer 4

The universe is NOT infinite. And it is not expanding "into" anything - it is creating space and time as it goes.

It's not necessarily true that something that expands must also contract - although some scientists think this is what may happen with the universe at some distant point in the future.

Answer 5

Our universe is expanding at a constant rate and has been since the "big bang". It may not be infinite, but it obviously hasn't reached it's boundaries as of yet, so it might as well be. That would not necessarily mean "God" is of our universe...whomever created our universe would obviously need to be outside it. You know when I think of this I can't help thinking about "Men in Black", remember the universes were like marbles? Hmmmmmmm.

Answer 6

Although the human knowledge gets increasingly better as technology advances, I don't think that anyone can be 100% sure as to whether or not the universe really is infinite. So far all the theories are based on (very) educated guesses, and until someone goes to the "edge" of the universe (if it even exists, that is), we can't tell for sure, I think.

Answer 7

When Hubble pierced through the universe it reached to a blanket of microwave scientist concluded that, this blanket is the edge of the universe…no one can be for certain. The age of the universe is determined by rewinding the expansion…other scientist say that when light reaches to that point it diffuses and stretches into microwave and that if we are able to see through this blanket probably the universe continues to an infinite…therefore no one is for certain and we can not conclude that the universe is finite…

Answer 8

It is not knowledge on my part, but when I think of the universe, I am thinking of the whole system everything, including nothingness.

Either it goes on forever, in which case it contains every possibility, or if is contained within a limited space, what could possibly be beyond it?

Regarding God(s) To us the world is reality, to a God it could just be a thought. In which case there is nothing except God and what God creates within its own mind.

I accept infinity, and eternity as I can see no alternative.

Answer 9

What does either religious or atheist philosophy have to do with God ? Historically, mankind has not believed a thing that God has told him. "Let God be true though every man a liar." So when God wants you to know what you need to know about the universe He created for you, you will find out.

Answer 10

According to the Big Bang theory the universe is finite.