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Science & Mathematics Infinity

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Mean Muggin

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If the Big Bang is accpeted as the best explanation to the beginning of the universe and that the universe is expanding constantly, how does infinity factor into the equation?

First of all, the universe has to expand into some sort of vacant space, and if the universe is finite what is outside of the boundries?

Also if the sun is a giant ball of flame, what happened to spark the fire in the first place? Doesn't fire need O2 to sustain it?
 
If the Big Bang is accpeted as the best explanation to the beginning of the universe and that the universe is expanding constantly, how does infinity factor into the equation?

An infinite universe is only one theory.

First of all, the universe has to expand into some sort of vacant space, and if the universe is finite what is outside of the boundries?

The universe created space.

Also if the sun is a giant ball of flame, what happened to spark the fire in the first place?

The sun was formed from swirling dust and gasses which became gradually hotter as the material formed larger clumps, until the centre of this clump reached the critical temperature that triggered the process of nuclear fusion.

Doesn't fire need O2 to sustain it?

The sun is not technically burning. The heat the sun produces is caused by fusing atomic nuclei.
 
Mathematical models of the universe distinguish between two models - infinite and finite. Scientific observations haven't yet made it clear which model best fits our actual universe. The fate of the universe is closely related to whether or not it is infinite. If it is finite it will eventually collapse in a big crunch. If it is infinite, then matter will escape to infinity, and will eventually get ripped apart in a 'big rip'. If the universe is finite there is nothing outside the boundaries. The universe is not "expanding into" anything - its an expansion of space itself.

EDIT: Actually you could have a finite universe without boundaries. Think of the surface area of the Earth, it has no boundary but a finite area.
 
If the Big Bang is accpeted as the best explanation to the beginning of the universe and that the universe is expanding constantly, how does infinity factor into the equation?

First of all, the universe has to expand into some sort of vacant space, and if the universe is finite what is outside of the boundries?

Also if the sun is a giant ball of flame, what happened to spark the fire in the first place? Doesn't fire need O2 to sustain it?

The sun isn't a great ball of flame - the sun is a fusion reactor that is currently in it's main sequence. It's fusion process converts hydrogen into helium which releases energy.

With respect to the universe - it never ends. Difficult concept to imagine isn't it.
 

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An infinite universe is only one theory.

Yes, but a finite universe is harder to comprehend than a infinte one.

The universe created space.

This is what bugs me, ok it creates space, but out of what? every action has a reaction. Or in laymans terms - nothing from nothing leaves nothing.

The sun was formed from swirling dust and gasses which became gradually hotter as the material formed larger clumps, until the centre of this clump reached the critical temperature that triggered the process of nuclear fusion.

This I accept, and you do seem to know your stuff. I was curious. Cheers.

The sun is not technically burning. The heat the sun produces is caused by fusing atomic nuclei.

Mathematical models of the universe distinguish between two models - infinite and finite. Scientific observations haven't yet made it clear which model best fits our actual universe. The fate of the universe is closely related to whether or not it is infinite. If it is finite it will eventually collapse in a big crunch. If it is infinite, then matter will escape to infinity, and will eventually get ripped apart in a 'big rip'. If the universe is finite there is nothing outside the boundaries. The universe is not "expanding into" anything - its an expansion of space itself.

EDIT: Actually you could have a finite universe without boundaries. Think of the surface area of the Earth, it has no boundary but a finite area.

Yes, but the Earth is round and has space enclosing it. If the same principle applies to the universe, something has to enclose it???

Thanks though.

The sun isn't a great ball of flame - the sun is a fusion reactor that is currently in it's main sequence. It's fusion process converts hydrogen into helium which releases energy.

With respect to the universe - it never ends. Difficult concept to imagine isn't it.

Yes extremely hard to imagine, and something that is hard to accept. But the alternative is even harder to accept.
 
The laws of physics break down when you go back to the Big Bang. Saying 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction' does not apply to the Big Bang. Which is not the same as 'nothing comes from nothing' - the law you're thinking of is conservation of mass and energy - and it also does not apply.

The idea of the Big Bang, correct or not, is that it started everything. It's not really a concept you're supposed to be able to understand.
 
Yes, but the Earth is round and has space enclosing it. If the same principle applies to the universe, something has to enclose it???

No it doesn't. It could mean it has some kind of wrap around effect where if you head in one direction you will eventually get back to where you began - just like on earth.

Whether the universe is infinite and whether the universe is bounded are actually two separate questions. A finite universe could be bounded or unbounded.
 
What applies to everything else everywhere doesn't apply to space. I exist on Earth, Earth exists in our solar system, our solar system exists in a galaxy, the galaxy exists in space... what does space exist in?

I can't get my head around the fact that space is all there is, it doesn't exist in a void that it expands into.
 
What applies to everything else everywhere doesn't apply to space. I exist on Earth, Earth exists in our solar system, our solar system exists in a galaxy, the galaxy exists in space... what does space exist in?

I can't get my head around the fact that space is all there is, it doesn't exist in a void that it expands into.

You and me both brother!!!

But we don't know that for certain do we? It's not fact because of the whole infinite / finite debate, right?

Back up what 2Sewell4School said as well, cheers for the info.
 

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If you did know what contained the universe then you'd then be asking what contains the thing that contains the universe and then you'd experience the same mind crash over that. (The God people get over that by stoutly refusing that there is anything else.)
 
An orange is contained within an orange.

Of course, that won't help you any conceptually, but it doesn't make it any less correct.
But the orange exists in the world, the solar system, etc.

I get what you're trying to say though :)

Through the big bang the universe was created, and as it expands it creates space. What I don't get though, is what it expands into. It'll just go on forever if this is the case though..
 
The big bang may have been two universes colliding

They maybe as many as 11 Universes, of which we are in just one of them
 

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Science & Mathematics Infinity


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