At the edge of the universe

[toast]

Sometimes I think about how it would look like at the edge of the universe. Means, if we could travel, hypothetical, to the edge

and lock our space craft to the movement of the expansion of the universe to keep a permanent distance of, lets say,

100kms. Would it look just black to our eyes? And, if we would look to the left/right or above/below us, would there be a

terminator visible, a separation in between the nothing and the visible universe?

I really dont know.

PS: I`m aware of the speed of light,

Edited March 18, 2015 by toast

[+DieChecker]

Some say there isn't any edge to the universe, that it is effectively like a bubble. 3

[StarMountainKid]

I've thought about this, too. I like imagining the idea, too, hypothetically. However, if the universe is flat, there is no edge, as the universe is supposidly infinite in extent. I think how the 'shape' of the universe is described is a mathematical abstraction.

Also, because of gravity curving spacetime, a space ship would always follow a geodesic in spacetime, so even if there were an edge, your space ship could not reach it. Plus, space only exists within the universe, so you could never go 'outside' the universe.

I would think the universe from 'outside' would look like a brightly lit fractal or spider web. But, since your space ship would be outside of space, light could not travel to you.

Just my thoughts. I'm willing to go with you in your ship, though, to try it!

[Duke Wellington]

I've thought about this, too. I like imagining the idea, too, hypothetically. However, if the universe is flat, there is no edge, as the universe is supposidly infinite in extent. I think how the 'shape' of the universe is described is a mathematical abstraction.

Also, because of gravity curving spacetime, a space ship would always follow a geodesic in spacetime, so even if there were an edge, your space ship could not reach it. Plus, space only exists within the universe, so you could never go 'outside' the universe.

I would think the universe from 'outside' would look like a brightly lit fractal or spider web. But, since your space ship would be outside of space, light could not travel to you.

Just my thoughts. I'm willing to go with you in your ship, though, to try it!

If we accept that photons travel at the speed of light then we can only view out 14.5 billion years because that's how old the universe is. As its impossible to receive information beyond that boundary I predict weird quantum wavy behaviour going on past it. In essence, nothing is out there just potential.

I predict wavy behaviour exists long before that too, unless we look with a telescope. That's like looking at an atom with a microscope and finding the wavy behaviour has disappeared with that too.

[StarMountainKid]

I was wondering about wavy behavior, too, RabidMongoose. I'm wondering if the boundary between QM behavior and the way the universe looks to us on the human scale exists beyond the visible universe. In other words, are there "stars" out there, or just QM wavy behavior? The observer effect or measurement problem.

[Thorvir]

If we accept that photons travel at the speed of light then we can only view out 14.5 billion years because that's how old the universe is.

The oldest visible light we see is approx 14.5 billion year old. The entirety of the universe could, possibly, be older than that. We're only seeing what we can see.

As its impossible to receive information beyond that boundary I predict weird quantum wavy behaviour going on past it. In essence, nothing is out there just potential.

I predict wavy behaviour exists long before that too, unless we look with a telescope. That's like looking at an atom with a microscope and finding the wavy behaviour has disappeared with that too.

Could be. Wish there was a way to find out.

[Likely Guy]

To ever reach the edge of the Universe (of course, theoretically) you'd have to reach the speed of light to get there, over generations of travellers.

In my humble opinion, if we ever got near a 'boundary', time would be stretched out so far, that you could never reach the distance.

Time and space would just cancel themselves out. You'd reach a stasis, not so much the edge of the Universe. Or, maybe when you 'stop', that might demark the 'end' of the Universe?

P.S.: I just made that up, take it as you will.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Likely Guy

[+joc]

There is no end to the Universe. It is infinite. Nuff said.

[Likely Guy]

There is no end to the Universe. It is infinite. Nuff said.

Prove it. If there are no pictures, it didn't happen.

[StarMountainKid]

There is no end to the Universe. It is infinite. Nuff said.

Yes, but what if the universe is a simulation?...

[karmakazi]

Ever since I read Flatland, I wonder if the three dimensions we know are wrapped into a sphere in a fourth dimension, so basically it would be like the thin film around a bubble, and then there would be no edge in the dimension we are built to perceive, you'd simply go round in circles.

[Likely Guy]

Ever since I read Flatland, I wonder if the three dimensions we know are wrapped into a sphere in a fourth dimension, so basically it would be like the thin film around a bubble, and then there would be no edge in the dimension we are built to perceive, you'd simply go round in circles.

Or in a tesseract.

[StarMountainKid]

Or a Penrose triangle, or tribar.

[Likely Guy]

Yes, but what if the universe is a simulation?...

That's too hypothetical. Maybe worthy of a separate thread.

[Likely Guy]

Or a Penrose triangle, or tribar.

Or a Möbius strip?

Edit: For anyone still interested, do a Google image seach of "Escher Möbius strip."

Edited March 18, 2015 by Likely Guy

[karmakazi]

Or a Möbius strip?

Edit: For anyone still interested, do a Google image seach of "Escher Möbius strip."

He's on of my favorite artists! And yeah, a mobius strip works. I was also thinking about the video games where you can run off one edge and appear on the opposite, so to the game characters viewpoint, they would have walked in a circle.

[StarMountainKid]

That's too hypothetical. Maybe worthy of a separate thread.

I brought up the tribar, which is an impossible shape, because, well, look at the image. "Local reality A" is the universe that exists only locally, and is unreal or non-existent globally.

[Likely Guy]

He's on of my favorite artists! And yeah, a mobius strip works. I was also thinking about the video games where you can run off one edge and appear on the opposite, so to the game characters viewpoint, they would have walked in a circle.

Exactly! The Möbius strip demonstrates a 2 dimensional world to the third (which is demonstrable), a tesseract (or nested cube) is a p***-poor representation of a fourth dimensional square. We may conceive of it, but we'll never be able to demonstrate it.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Likely Guy

[karmakazi]

Exactly! The Möbius strip demonstrates a 2 dimensional world to the third (which is demonstrable), a tesseract (or nested cube) is a p***-poor representation of a fourth dimensional square. We may conceive of it, but we'll never be able to demonstrate it.

Tesseracts are so fascinating, and I can't help but occasionally try to imagine it as a proper fourth dimensional object....but alas, I'm still human.

Also, Klien bottles! The first time I saw one, I had to stare a while, tracing the lines with my eyes to confirm it really was a continuous surface.

Edited March 18, 2015 by karmakazi

[The Id3al Experience]

They say that space actually expands faster than the speed of light, therefore you would hypothetically see nothing, because we can only perceive light, and light cannot travel when if you are locked at the ending of expansion. you too would be going faster than the speed of light, which is impossible because we have a weight. however for this thought experiment you would perceive anything because it cannot catch you!

[Likely Guy]

Tesseracts are so fascinating, and I can't help but occasionally try to imagine it as a proper fourth dimensional object....but alas, I'm still human.

Alas, it's akin to explaining "up" to a Flatlander.

I still think that once you try and penetrate the edge of the Universe, you'll come to a standstill. If there is a fourth dimension, it will nullify your motion. You will hurtle 'forward' at the extreme velocity and never get anywhere, much like a Möbius strip.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Likely Guy

[Likely Guy]

To hell with it, I'm going to start a restaurant there.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Likely Guy

[+joc]

Actually...we are creating the Universe...consider the space Hubble Telescope...we aim it at an empty part of space...suddenly we see nothing but a page full of galaxies....were they their...or did they come into being because we looked at emptiness?

[+joc]

I mean...I keep trying to get my head around trillions of galaxies....

it's like...you are in a bubble in the middle of a sand storm and you freeze frame the sandstorm...open up your bubble window and grab one grain of sand...that my friend..is representative of an entire galaxy....good god...it really is infinite you know?

[+joc]

Oh no...its 13 billion light years wide....pffft

there isn't a computer on the planet powerful enough...or enough paper even to print out the number associated with 13 billion light years....