Re: 1-{Universe}

rAgAv wrote:
From http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmology_faq.html#XIN :-

"What is the Universe expanding into?

This question is based on the ever popular misconception that the
Universe is some curved object embedded in a higher dimensional space,

There is no need to invoke a "higher dimensional space". The universe
isn't expanding into anything... it's just getting bigger.



and that the Universe is expanding into this space. This misconception
is probably fostered by the balloon analogy which shows a 2-D
spherical model of the Universe expanding in a 3-D space. While it is
possible to think of the Universe this way, it is not necessary, and
there is nothing whatsoever that we have measured or can measure that
will show us anything about the larger space. Everything that we
measure is within the Universe, and we see no edge or boundary or
center of expansion. Thus the Universe is not expanding into anything
that we can see, and this is not a profitable thing to think about.
Just as Dali's Corpus Hypercubicus is just a 2-D picture of a 3-D
object that represents the surface of a 4-D cube, remember that the
balloon analogy is just a 2-D picture of a 3-D situation that is
supposed to help you think about a curved 3-D space, but it does not
mean that there is really a 4-D space that the Universe is expanding
into."

So, the answer is "Insufficient data to give an accurate comment".
Nonetheless, it is a very interesting classical example of a natural
counter-intuitive phenomenon arising due to insufficient data. I think
it seems counter-intuitive becasue of the nature of the semantics of
classification (of the universe).

I wonder which kind of alarming future discovery would make this
phenomenon intuitive and analogous to the known phenomena....

Thanks Sam.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Looking into the past with a telescope
    ... any edge or boundary that is reachable from within our universe ... to the balloon analogy, I envision the similar raisin bread analogy; ... bread is expanding into an existing 3D space. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: The reality of entity
    ... The assumption is that redshift is entirely due to Doppler shift, ... us appear to be at the center of the universe. ... difficult to say that space itself is expanding and than use a stable ... ignites the radiation and this energy expands back out, ...
    (sci.philosophy.meta)
  • Re: Need some assistance
    ... a lot of the other things in the universe. ... General Relativity says that gravity is the curvature of absolute ... These balloons are expanding. ... when you expand the balloon. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: expansion
    ... Therefore if you subscribe to 'expanding universe', ... And the expansion has no center. ... physicists to describe something that is *not completely like* what is ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: expansion
    ... Therefore if you subscribe to 'expanding universe', ... And the expansion has no center. ... physicists to describe something that is *not completely like* what is ...
    (sci.physics)
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