What is the relationship between inflation and the expansion of our universe?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the possibility of our known universe colliding/merging with unknown universes following the inflation theory. It is argued that if the measurement of dark energy is correct and our universe is constantly expanding inside an ever-expanding space, then the overall surface area of our universe would also be increasing. The conversation also considers the idea that this constant expansion could lead to the formation of new universes, with the potential for these universes to eventually merge and eliminate the space between them. However, it is noted that there are limitations to this analogy and that new theories and speculation should be supported by peer-reviewed research before being discussed.
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As a curious 21 year old, ADHD fueled individual with only a high school diploma but a lot of questions, I am hoping to create an online discussion topic based around the inflation theory and the potential of a multiverse to help expand both my knowledge and to gain an insight into such topics with individuals who may have more knowledge on these topics than I.
I'm going to give my best attempt to word my thoughts the best I can. As a subject I don't personally know a lot about but am heavily curious about with lots of questions, what would be keeping our known universe from colliding/merging with an unknown universe(s) following the inflation theory?

If the measurement of dark energy is correct and our known universe is constantly expanding at an increasingly rapid rate inside of an ever-expanding space, then the overall "surface area" of our universe would be increasing along with the potential or other universes expanding at faster or similar rates as our own?

If an ever-growing space promotes/prompts more cosmic reactions and forming universes, then the center points of these cosmic reactions that create enough energy to "birth" new universes should technically never be able to adjust or change because the space around the reaction site should always be growing, therefore couldn't that be reason to believe that edges or differing universes could someday be discovered as they inflate to eliminate the space between them, like if water puddles were on a pane of glass and as more water was added to each puddle they would fill the space between each other and combine?

Or would it be more probable to compare inflation to a pore on our skin, by this I mean it doesn't necessarily matter how wide and large a pore becomes because the space between it and its neighboring pores never change?
 
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lotsofquestions said:
If ... our known universe is constantly expanding ... inside of an ever-expanding space, then the overall "surface area" of our universe would be increasing
It is not. Expansion is observed as the distance between widely separated things increasing; there's no expansion "into" anything and no surface.

Please be mindful of the the forum rule requiring that new theories and speculation must have been published in an appropriate peer-reviewed journal before they can be posted for discussion here.

This thread is closed, although questions about what the expansion model actually is will be welcome in new threads.
 

FAQ: What is the relationship between inflation and the expansion of our universe?

1. What is the inflation theory?

The inflation theory is a cosmological model that explains the rapid expansion of the universe in the first few moments after the Big Bang. It proposes that the universe underwent a period of exponential expansion, causing it to become much larger and smoother than it was initially.

2. How does inflation explain the uniformity of the universe?

Inflation theory suggests that the rapid expansion of the universe caused any small irregularities in the early universe to be stretched out, resulting in a more uniform distribution of matter and energy. This explains why the universe appears to be almost the same in all directions.

3. What is the multiverse theory?

The multiverse theory proposes that our universe is just one of many universes that exist in a larger, interconnected multiverse. These other universes may have different physical laws and constants, and may even have different dimensions.

4. How does the multiverse theory relate to inflation?

Inflation theory is often used to explain the existence of multiple universes in the multiverse. The rapid expansion of the universe during inflation may have caused the formation of "bubble universes" that exist alongside our own.

5. Is there any evidence for inflation or the multiverse theory?

While there is strong theoretical support for both inflation and the multiverse, there is currently no direct observational evidence to confirm either theory. However, ongoing research and observations from experiments like the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation may provide more insight into these concepts in the future.

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