Is the universe infinite?

[Trabpukcip]

Originally posted by Sh3kel
For the universe to be infite it would first have to exist...

what kind of statement is that???

ok I understand you must one of those who think we're a dream...

 

[Ohwell]

I remember hearing about how the universe is shaped like a doughnut or sphere and if you move in one direction too far you return to your origin, but that might be old news.

What I am confused about is, is there anything outside this finite universe? And if so, what? Another universe? If that is the case than the "universe" would be infinite, as a combination of universes!

 

[Zarn]

Which leads to... What is the definition of universe?

 

[Pongui]

Any shaman who says "the universe" does not equal "everything" is just mystifying. I'd be highly suspicious of someone rigging their flawed "everything" model by saying there's another "everything" affecting it. On a mechanical level, that's like saying "God works in strange ways" or "Physics ceases to behave rationally". Sadly, Starlifter is right: "All in all, physics of the last 35 years has made remarkable strides to the account of creation in Genesis."

Thanks, Zarn. We've been needing some definitions. Universe = everything, whether you observe it or not! That includes all the Matter, obviously, in the microscope and the macroscope, anything we'll call Energy, good old Time, inscrutable Gravity, the very Laws we're making and revising... everything. So, when we ask "Is the universe infinite?" we are not merely asking how big it is, we're also asking (actually the same question) how small is the smallest, how old is the oldest, etc. because these things are all contained within our definition of universe and are suseptible to infinity.

 

[Hamlet]

I aint no scientist!

 

[Pongui]

Science only helps later on. The first step is to apply what is usually called "lateral thinking", like when a person states their age as "31 years young". Then you'll see infinity's double-ended nature.

 

[Mephisto]

it has to be, you need infinite space to house infinite amount of idiots.

 

[Eowyn of Rohan]

But when you say 31 years young, don't you mean 31 years before you die?

 

[Switch625]

Originally posted by Mephisto
it has to be, you need infinite space to house infinite amount of idiots.

Will you please stop digging up old threads???!!!

 

[Mephisto]

ok, i am sorry. i am very bored.

 

[Gerard]

I´m sorry but the universe is not infinite, yesterday I visit the frontiers.

 

[newfangle]

Originally posted by Sh3kel
For the universe to be infite it would first have to exist...

Exactly. Hawking once described it as a borderless entitie with specific amount of space- like the surface of a sphere.

 

[Mephisto]

if it's infinite, how would we know. we can't never measure it.