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Does size matter?


geordief

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I have asked this question before ** so it feels like I am trolling and was not happy with the answer I got.

 

Anyway, it is the size of the universe. To me it feels like it is so big that "size" really doesn't describe it. It does me no good to say to myself "of course it may be infinite so what do you expect"

 

Again , if it was finite I might say to myself "well it is small then if you can somehow sum it up".

 

What I see is something in nowhere land and the question I have is "does this "size" have an import? Not in any implications but in its own right.

 

Is it just an invitation to say "so what?" and think of something else that actually means something or is there anything to it more than just a gut feeling?

 

This is what got me thinking about it (again)

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3522529/Journey-heart-galaxy-Incredible-Hubble-images-capture-clusters-centre-Milky-Way-stunning-detail.html

 

Edit: I promise not to post this topic again :)

 

** just the once....

Edited by geordief
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In between the usual "unmarried foreign criminals on benefits cause cancer" stories they do very occasionally slip in a bit of real science every now and again. I expect the science editor will have his pay docked for letting this happen.

 

Does the size of universe matter in any practical sense? I can't really see how. But that is true of many of the subjects that science looks into. It is just a fascinating question. Attempting to answer it might throw up some other interesting questions. What more could you want?

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Important in what way?

 

"Size" is a variable quality, so I don't understand why you think how big the universe is isn't covered by the word. Just because its size is incredible doesn't mean we should leap to incredulity.

 

I would say that size in the universe gives room for events to happen, for one thing. A cosmic dance needs some elbow room to avoid collisions between participants. But it's an effect of expansion, not something that "matters" to the universe.

 

Also, since we see that the observable universe has about the same properties, relationships, and forms no matter where we look, it's fairly safe to assume it's like that everywhere, until we observe differently. Size, even infinite size, shouldn't change that, unless you want to argue the semantics of infinity, and say that it means everything is possible eventually.

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Just as we can count towards infinity, the Universe expands towards infinity. No number can be infinite, and the Universe cannot be infinite. That's the way I think of it; some may say that's no different than saying the Universe is infinite. And, I'd say OK; it's just semantics.

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And it might not actually be all that big:

 

If the Universe is finite but unbounded, it is also possible that the Universe is smaller than the observable universe. In this case, what we take to be very distant galaxies may actually be duplicate images of nearby galaxies, formed by light that has circumnavigated the Universe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observable_universe#The_Universe_versus_the_observable_universe

 

But probably not.

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Anything outside our observable universe is causally disconnected.

We cannot affect it and it cannot affect us.

It is also getting larger all the time so it couldn't have been causally connected in the past either ( at least not after inflation ).

It may as well not exist.

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I don't really understand what your saying or asking, it might be good to rephrase this, that's probably why you didn't get many answers the previous time you posted this.its okay sometimes I say things in the most confusing way possible.

"it is the size of the universe. To me it feels like it is so big that "size" really doesn't describe it. It does me no good to say to myself "of course it may be infinite so what do you expect""

when size cant describe it it means that its infinite because everything that is not infinite can be measured you just have to have bigger units or there is too many zeros to manege. it may do you no good but it might be true. people don't know how big the universe it. people have found things very far in our galaxy but on one knows how big our universe is.

"Again , if it was finite I might say to myself "well it is small then if you can somehow sum it up"."

yes I agree, if its not infinite we will be able to sum it up, the problem is we use certain equipment and measuring systems to determine the farthest thing away, but these methods and equipment can only measure so far. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/5-8/features/F_How_Big_is_Our_Universe.html

"What I see is something in nowhere land and the question I have is "does this "size" have an import? Not in any implications but in its own right."

I dont understand this comment.

"Is it just an invitation to say "so what?" and think of something else that actually means something or is there anything to it more than just a gut feeling?"

I don't understand what you mean by this either.

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@Lyudmilascience


You might be right and I may have just failed to articulate my thought. Perhaps there will come a time when I will understand better what it is I was trying to say -or maybe come to a different appreciation of the idea.


I prefer not to try and reanalyse my post though as I can easily tie myself up in knots when I go down that road.....

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