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murrdpirate0
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Or could it be infinitely massive? I'm confused since both scenarios seem to be able to predict the same observations.
marcus said:There is a particular number that you look for, every time new data comes out, to tell you the estimated curvature. The error bar has been shrinking down in recent years and it still contains zero---still consistent with the zero curvature infinite volume case. But it has been slightly lopsided, on the positive curvature side. So it isn't obvious how it is going to go.
marcus said:If space is finite volume, it would become more reasonable to say that the "whole universe expanded from a point". But we still won't know. Maybe it expanded from a small, very high density, high temperature state, but not a mathematical point. But still, if it is finite volume then roughly speaking it makes sense to think of it as starting as a "point".
But if it is infinite volume, then the "point-ish" beginning makes no sense at all! It would always have had infinite volume, even at the very start. Talking about the whole universe, not just the part we see.
The Big Bang Theory is a scientific model that explains the origin and evolution of the universe. It suggests that the universe began as a singularity, an infinitely dense and hot point, and has been expanding ever since. The expansion of the universe is a key concept in the Big Bang Theory, as it explains the observed redshift of distant galaxies and the cosmic microwave background radiation.
The concept of the universe expanding from a single point, also known as the "cosmic egg" or "primordial atom," is based on the idea that the entire universe was once compressed into an incredibly small and dense point. This point then rapidly expanded, creating space and time as we know it. The exact mechanism for this expansion is still being studied by scientists.
Yes, the expansion of the universe is still happening. In fact, it is accelerating due to the presence of dark energy, a mysterious force that is causing the expansion to speed up. This phenomenon was first discovered in the late 1990s and continues to be a topic of study for scientists.
One of the key pieces of evidence for the expansion of the universe is the observed redshift of distant galaxies. This redshift is caused by the stretching of light waves as they travel through expanding space. Additionally, the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is a remnant of the Big Bang, also provides evidence for the initial expansion of the universe.
While the Big Bang Theory is currently the most widely accepted model for the origin and expansion of the universe, there are other theories that have been proposed. Some of these include the Steady State Theory, which suggests that the universe has always existed in a constant state of expansion, and the Oscillating Universe Theory, which proposes that the universe goes through cycles of expansion and contraction.