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by rajendra rajan on April 2nd, 2005

rajendra rajan

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What is there beyond the universe?

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  • by Astaroth on April 7th, 2005

    Astaroth

    This is very complex question, and is highly philosofical.

    Let's start saying that when we humans started to discover our surroundings we first found close planets and the sun. We called it a Planetary System. Then we learned that almost every star is the center of other planetary systems, and that thousands of planetary systems formed what we know as Galaxies. Now galaxies respond to the same laws, they have a center and all planetary systems being balanced by its central energy go around it. Now we know that galaxies also form groups with a central point of balance, and as far as we know this accumulations of galaxies also rotate around a bigger center.

    Logic then suggests that this system, at some point should have to find "the center", which would be the biggest energy center, or the center of the universe. But now the new question arises: This universe is also part of a cluster of universes that rotates around something bigger?

    According to our present knowledge, the universe is "infinite". But is also in constant expansion. Expansion requires void space to be filled....so what is this "void". Is it there? It's being created on demand? Is there a final "wall"? If so, what is behind that "wall"?

    The interesting part is that this system of "balanced energy" doesn't only go outside, but also inside. In other words, planets also have cores, and everything on the planet is formed by molecules and atoms, and if you see an atom you will inmediatly notice that it resembles a planetary system. Even atoms have been separated in smaller units, that follow the same pattern and rules. So, are planetary systems the atoms that form a bigger structure? Are galaxies, clusters of planetary systems that work as molecules for a larger thing?

    The nice thing is that the "universe" seems to be formed by this basic building blocks, which form bigger blocks, and bigger blocks and so on indefinite. Our tridimensial human perspective finds hard to understand the meaning of indefinite, because all 3D things have a beginning and an end. So, what if the universe has more than three dimensions?

    This are all questions that have no answer yet. And many scientist believe that they will never be answered. At the end, we can only theorize, wonder and look at nature in awe.

    I recommend you to find a nice spot away from the city and the lights, have a cup or glass of your favorite drink, look at the night sky and reach your own conclusions. Who knows if you can find a new perspective, a new glass for humans to look thru....or just an answer for you, to satisfy your inquisitive spirit.

    TO THE PERSON THAT BAD RATED THIS ANSWER:
    Einstein, Hawkins and the other are only theorizing, there is no scientific facts in this respect. Giving a bad rating to this philosofical answer to a philosofical question is to show a "crippled-spirit". One that contents itself with part-answers. After all our ancestors though Copernicus and then Newton were right, and now we know different. The same have happened with many Einstein's theories and the same will happen with Hawkins.

    Comments

    • The universe is not infinite-see Einstein's thought experiments on the implications of an infinite universe.

      syszlak

      by syszlak on April 10th, 2006

    • You state that the universe is infinite, yet it is expanding, thats a contradiction in itself.
      You also state that Newton was wrong, how was he wrong? all his laws are still true and perfectly valid today, yes they are not complete, they miss out on relativity and quantum effects, but he was not wrong!
      Anyway, other than a few little fiddly bits here and there its a very good answer and I marked you up because of that.

      slothmister

      by slothmister on May 27th, 2007

    • Newton was wrong, his equations are correct to degrees of approximation, but so far as a universial set of laws, they are not correct.

      Any equation must work for all possible conditions, or else it is wrong. Newton does not work at high energy scale or low distance scale.

      H

      by H on July 3rd, 2007

    • Newton was not wrong! He was right, just not complete! His work has NEVER been disproven, but has needed adjusting to deal with quantum mechanics and relativity, both of which did not exist during his life time (in human knowledge!).
      His equations work perfectly well for the majority of situations, the only times they do not is when you are talking about nano-scale or speeds close to C. Just because they needed adjusting to include these domains does not make them wrong! If it did then we could not be sure that the equations we use today are correct as in 300 years time someone might find a new relationship that means the calculations are wrong by 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001%
      We can argue this all day, but it is pointless.

      slothmister

      by slothmister on July 3rd, 2007

    • For some reason I couldnt post a comment, so I've posted a response to your comment below as an answer.

      H

      by H on July 3rd, 2007

    • This answer is fascinating, but isn't it missing the essential point? Isn't asking what is beyond the universe almost the same as asking where IS the universe?

      timothyg

      by timothyg on December 8th, 2007

    • My DR because this is all a bunch of gobbledygook dressed up as knowledge.

      I don't find it philosophical (you could learn to spell the word, BTW) it's just nonsense.

      23Skidoo

      by 23Skidoo on April 25th, 2008

    • Well take 5 more from me due to this NOT being "gobbledygook" and actually being a good answer.

      slothmister

      by slothmister on April 25th, 2008

    • this is a brilliant answer. I have been thinking about these unknown things for as long as i can remember, even as a young child. you are brilliant and it's a shame that some people can't appreciate it because they are probably so brainwashed into religion...how sad.

      kirababe

      by kirababe on October 29th, 2008

    • OK - A couple reasons taken at random from the reply showing I say this reply is nonsense:
      "According to our present knowledge, the universe is "infinite"." - Nope. According to theory going back to relativity the universe is finite.
      .
      "Einstein, Hawkins and the other are only theorizing, there is no scientific facts in this respect." - Scientific theory is much more than just some dude's way out notions. There are in fact, many facts to back up the theories. Like Newton's Theories of Gravitation.
      .
      I have a "crippled spirit"? Wow. I guess that's what one gets for wanting scientific accuracy in replies to scientific questions.

      23Skidoo

      by 23Skidoo on October 29th, 2008

    • But you are wrong! I'm a college student and I have taken courses after courses on this stuff and you're WRONG! I'm not trying to belittle you, but if I knew where you got these facts from, that would be helpful. I've been taught through school and numerous books that the theory today is that the universe IS infinite.

      kirababe

      by kirababe on October 29th, 2008

    • Yes and no.

      You can travel for an infinite distance in the universe, but you can never do so without returning back to the same point you originated from, in a straight line at least.

      The universe is also expanding - the idea of an infinite substance expanding is a bit ludicrious.


      Through Hubble in the 30s till even modern physics with Dark Energy observations in 1998, it becomes apparent that the universe's acceleration of expansion is greater than 0.

      Not to mention, if you delve into Brane-theory, the universe is most definitely a finite size - whilst it may be completely incomphrensible for our level, it's probably no different to an ant and the planet.

      H

      by H on October 29th, 2008

    • Albeit though, in some defintions, the universe is infinite.

      It's hard to give an exact 'yes' or 'no' to. But, again, how do you truly define infinite?

      H

      by H on October 29th, 2008

    • As a side note, i'd like to refer on to my answer,

      http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/1040936

      H

      by H on October 29th, 2008

    • ok i can agree with you on that.

      kirababe

      by kirababe on October 29th, 2008

    • Oh, I was hoping you'd disagree. I was looking forward to beating you in the subsequent discussion :)

      H

      by H on October 29th, 2008

    • kirababe, I have a UK BSc in Physics (thats a US MSc) and know that what Skidoo says is true. You are mistaken. The popular (note POPULAR, this means excepted by the physics community but not exclusive! There are theories that suggest the universe is infinite, but then there are also theories that say Gravity is not what we perceive it to be!) theory is that the universe is finite but expanding.

      slothmister

      by slothmister on October 29th, 2008

    • oi, sloth you bastard.

      browha here, renamed my answerbag account. reply to my other comment you bastard, i have some things to tell you i know you'd love to hear about :P

      H

      by H on October 29th, 2008

    • Kirababe,

      Sorry but I'm not wrong.
      _______
      Astronomical observations indicate that the universe is 13.73 ± 0.12 billion years old[1] and at least 93 billion light years across.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe
      .
      we know about the Universe is that it is really big
      http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmology_faq.html#RB
      .
      Universe is about 10 billion light years in radius.
      http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/971124x.html
      .
      The Universe is at least 156 billion light-years wide...
      http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3753115.stm

      23Skidoo

      by 23Skidoo on October 29th, 2008

    • These are a couple links I got from the first page of a Google search - from Wikipedia to Nasa and UCLA. Note that they all have different sizes - but they are all finite. I would think that people at those institutions also "...been taught through school and numerous books." and perhaps understood the material a bit better.
      .
      I'm also not trying to belittle you, but this isn't new - it's perfectly accepted theory and I'm sure it's been taught for at least 20 or 30 years - more or less - in its current form.

      23Skidoo

      by 23Skidoo on October 29th, 2008

    • Hrm.

      I dont se how you can reconcile 10 M l-y in radius with 156 M l-y width?

      H

      by H on October 29th, 2008

    • and by M I, of course, meant G

      H

      by H on October 29th, 2008

    • Me neither. I didn't write those articles :-) My only point was that whether 10b l-y or 10 inches - current and established theory agrees it's finite.
      .
      As for the shape - I think there's more discussion there - but latest I heard was a sort of taurus - though not round like a doughnut - so maybe that's where the difference is? I gotta admit, I'm right at about the edge of my understanding here. :-)

      23Skidoo

      by 23Skidoo on October 29th, 2008

    • Yeah, the shape of the universe is a doughnut with a hole in the middle, not sure why but I should after my cosmology courses.

      And, yeah, I suppose, that would make sense.


      I'll investigate after I've done this report on neutrinos.

      H

      by H on October 29th, 2008

    • Bitty little buggers, no? :-)

      23Skidoo

      by 23Skidoo on October 29th, 2008

    • i did so like your responce to this question.....and at this time in our lives .....?? man will never know the true answer to this question ,or women come to that.....there is only one solution to all this....and the saying goes !!!! watch this `SPACE`

      nice jugs

      by nice jugs on January 6th, 2010

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