2007-09-14 07:56:18 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Einstein, in his equations, used a variable called lamba to acount for the expansion of the universe. Later he called this his biggest mistake, which he forever regretted.
Lamba is a variable to account for universal expansion.
In recent times it has been found that he was not mistaken. Depending on the value of lamba, the universe will expand forever =or= slow down but continue to slowly expand, =or= collapse back on itself.
The value of Lamda has been open to bitter and long standing debates. People like Sandage believe it will slowly expand forever (and he is a HUGE name in astrophysics).
However, very new evidence suggest Lamba is increasing, suggesting the universe will expand forever, eventually leading to emptiness, suffering proton decay.
I think it is too soon to tell, and there are many who disagree with him. However, this was very recently released and is the current thinking.
Proton decay, if it happens at all, it trillions and trillions of years in the future.
2007-09-14 09:11:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Short Answer: No. Long Answer: Either the universe is "open" or "closed", meaning that the explosion that created the universe at the time of the big bang is or is not sufficient to cause the universe to continue to expand and exceeds the gravity of the original explosion which would otherwise cause the universe to collapse. If the force of the explosion is more than the gravitational pull of the universe, it will continue to expand forever, or until it runs out of energy ("open"). At that point, either it will then collapse back or stop, frozen. If the force of the explosion is not stronger than the gravitational pull of the universe, then it will collapse back ("closed").
I think it could be argued that this might not be the first universe that was here, and perhaps this universe is the recreation of the previous one after it collapsed, causing the "big bang" that started this universe. And perhaps when this universe collapses, it will start another one.
This would fit rather nicely with the theory that matter can neither be created nor destroyed, and that the end result is, when the universe reaches the limits of the energy of the big bang, it collapses on itself, then restarts over.
As me again in ten or twelve billion years and I might have a better answer. :)
2007-09-14 08:10:24 · answer #2 · answered by Paul R 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The BagBangers say the universe is 13.7 billion light-years across, but has no boundary. Gravity bends the space around, so when you look 13.7 billion light-years away, you're looking back at yourself---13.7 billion years ago. That theory is based on a religious assumption that the universe is finite.
If the universe is infinite, then gravity does not bend the space back on itself. It just goes on forever. My own infinite universe concept is outlined in the link below.
2007-09-14 08:22:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I thought I read somewhere that they actually measured it, so it must end somewhere? I've also heard scientists say that it's constantly expanding since the big bang, and some theories say that it might all collapse back in on itself eventually.
2007-09-14 08:01:14 · answer #4 · answered by Ellenaj 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we will never know because only humans measure time.
2007-09-14 08:05:27 · answer #5 · answered by windybrr 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not as far as we know.
2007-09-14 10:07:47 · answer #6 · answered by zahbudar 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes and no, according to several theories.
2007-09-14 07:59:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋