spherical or horizontal plane

Discussion in 'Physics & Math' started by 3fd, Sep 3, 2006.

  1. 3fd Registered Member

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    is our universe, if we asumed it was constantly expanding and growing, does it grow out in a spehrical shape? or is its expansion random? with no predetermined shape
     
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  3. valich Registered Senior Member

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    It wouldn't be random given the constant rate of the theoretical expansion. This post should be replaced on the Physics forum or you should repost it there to get more indepth professional scientific input, not on Free Thoughts (General).
     
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  5. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    A good way to think about it is like baking a loaf of raisin bread. The raisins represent the galaxies. As the bread bakes, all the raisins move further apart.

    From observing the expansion alone, we can't tell anything about the overall "shape" of the loaf.
     
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  7. 3fd Registered Member

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    appreciate the responses, but still leads to more questions, if gravity warps light, then it must also contort time itself correct? if so, thenhow can the measurement of any lentghy distancebe measured correcctly, and would the light from one galaxy, possibly be contorted so much and effected so greatly by magnetic diturbances that it provides a mirage , is there a possiblity of some of the stars i see at night, being light from a galaxy in a completly opposite direction than the light being recieved from my eye or telescope?
     
  8. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    You might want to look up "gravitational lensing". Light is bent by gravity, but it takes huge amounts of mass to bend it by only a small amount. Gravitational lensing is usually observed in the case of distant galaxies, where another entire galaxy is between the Earth and the galaxy being observed.

    To turn light 180 degrees, you'd need something like a black hole, and light passing very close to the event horizon.
     
  9. valich Registered Senior Member

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    Or "worm holes" because any light sucked into a black hole cannot come out. But then you get into a mult-dimensional universe: up to 18 possible dimensions, I think? It gets into how you balance the mathematical equations for it. You really should post under Astronomy. Intuitively and rationally I don't see any common sense view as to how you could be seeing something in the galaxy at night that came from the completely opposite direction. I don't know why you would think this. You're taking the space-time-gravity curvature to the sciencefiction extreme.
     
  10. 3fd Registered Member

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    valich it was a question, thats all. and sorry for postin in general thought. And I thought since this was a science forum i was able to post such a question, even if to your train of thought it might be science fiction extreme valich;however, i dont think any question to be nonsense- everyday in science we discover new truths, that contradict rational beliefs and if anything i find it preposterous and arrogant to assume that in this complex universe we live in, that anything is impossible.

    I do appreciate the responses and i mean no disrespect to you valich, just feedin my curiousity. Iwill post in proper areas , just was new to the forums and didnt want to sloppily post on forums that i am new on.
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2006

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