universe question lol

OperaDad
Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:27:39 +0000

But see you’re still under the impression that there is the Universe, and there is some ‘other’ thing in which the universe is expanding into, and that’s not the case.



What the layman means by the “universe” in this context is “matter”. Matter (the universe) is expanding within the void (otherwise there would be no where for the matter to go).

So, the question is: Is there an “edge” to the matter, beyond which, is only Void.

The sphere/balloon analogy is correct in that: Is the void expanding with the matter. In other words: Does the matter completely fill the void, and everything is just getting bigger? This would be the equivalent of the surface of the sphere (or the balloon) expanding along with everything else.

To put it another way: How can something be farther away (in light year terms) than 1/2 the age of the Universe (time since the Big Bang)? If the age of the universe is 12 billion light years, how can light have left that point 12 billion years ago, and just arrived today? It would have taken that Sun 12 billion years to get there, and another 12 billion years for the light to get here. I believe they are starting to find object that are approaching the age of the universe, if not older.