schadeaux Posted October 10, 2003 #1 Share Posted October 10, 2003 Astronomers studying radiation left over from the dawn of time believe the cosmos is the shape of a football. They say it is a finite "dodecahedron" made of curved pentagons joined together. However if you went out to the edge of the "ball" you would find yourself coming back in through the opposite face. The research, reported in the journal Nature, is based on data from a space craft mapping the background radiation left over from the Big Bang. Nasa's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe showed that temperature fluctuations across the sky are smaller than would be produced by an infinite universe. New York mathematician Dr Jeffrey Weeks and colleagues worked out that a football-shaped finite universe best fitted the observations. If the results are confirmed, they would mean the universe is relatively small - about 70 billion light years across. They would also rule out exotic ideas such as "chaotic inflation" which proposes that our local universe is just one of a myriad expanding bubbles. The scientists wrote: "Since antiquity, humans have wondered whether our universe is finite or infinite. Now, after more than two millennia of speculation, observational data might finally settle this ancient question." Ananova Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j6p Posted October 10, 2003 #2 Share Posted October 10, 2003 What if it was flat and if someone traveled far enough they would fall off the edge. I wonder what they would fall into? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dust19 Posted October 10, 2003 #3 Share Posted October 10, 2003 However if you went out to the edge of the "ball" you would find yourself coming back in through the opposite face. would I be correct in relating this to the "pac man effect"? Go off one side of the screen, then come in the other... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsteff Posted October 11, 2003 #4 Share Posted October 11, 2003 so is that a football..the real football you know a like earth the moon and other planets...ROUND or is it the football as in AMERICAN FOOTBALL...i.e sissy boy rugby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickled~Tacos Posted October 19, 2003 #5 Share Posted October 19, 2003 i would imagine that it is in the shape of a soccer football and not the american footballs (not sissy boy rugby) because how could the universe come to two points at the ends and then be curved on the edges? that would just be wierd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendork Posted October 22, 2003 #6 Share Posted October 22, 2003 WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST RUGBY!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted October 22, 2003 #7 Share Posted October 22, 2003 WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST RUGBY!? Nothing, Dorkstar. It's American Football that has been called "sissy boy rugby", understand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antares Posted October 22, 2003 #8 Share Posted October 22, 2003 would I be correct in relating this to the "pac man effect"? Go off one side of the screen, then come in the other... I like this one! It depends on what boundary conditions you will set at the corners of the Universe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nintendork Posted October 22, 2003 #9 Share Posted October 22, 2003 WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST RUGBY!? Nothing, Dorkstar. It's American Football that has been called "sissy boy rugby", understand? please, can you Call me nintendork? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzowalker Posted October 22, 2003 #10 Share Posted October 22, 2003 please, can you Call me nintendork? At least they aren't calling you Segadork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snuffypuffer Posted October 22, 2003 #11 Share Posted October 22, 2003 How about we call him Dorkmaster Dork? Anyhoo, how have they ruled out the existence of other universes? I'm sure it's somewhere in the article, but I have a really short attention span. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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