I happened to catch this story on another site and thought it would be good discussion fodder.

http://www.send2press.com/newswire/2005-04...-0405-003.shtml

New Discovery Brings 80 Year Old Expanding Universe to a Halt

What do we think of this??? :blink:

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<span style='color:green'>&quot;The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers&quot;
~ Brian Greene</span>

Great things can be accomplished by those who are willing to defy the belief that it can't be done.
~ 400poundgorilla

This is the silliest thing I've ever seen! The Andromeda Galaxy is a relfection of our galalxy? There is amazing variation in the forms and shapes of galaxies that wee can see in the universe and only a few are represented locally. Are they actually saying that the various galaxies we see are from repeated ounces of light off the edge of the universe - the farther and older representing multiple bounces and the closest the most recent reflection?

These guys are basing their theory on the highly scientifically accuracte diagrams of the Local Group of galaxies printed in National Geographic and the Encyclopedia Britannica? OMG!!!

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...and we'll be saying a big hello to all intelligent life forms everywhere; and to everyone else out there, the secret is to bang the rocks together, guys...

The Barber's Chair Universe is very well thought-of in some circles [snicker]

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Ignoramus et ignorabamus.-- Reymond

Wir mussen wissen. Wir werden wissen.--Hilbert

Pick one.

Hey, one of you math freaks, how many bounces would it take to get a 15 billion year old universe (or what ever the current estimated size of the observable universe is) ?

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The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'
Isaac Asimov

Pardon moi, the term "math freak" was in NO way meant to be derogatory. To the contrary, it is my neandertholic equipollent to: "wizard", Grand Wazir, Professor of Mathamatics, and/or geek. All, highly held, by this lowly, math challenged natural philosopher.

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The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'
Isaac Asimov

I have to say, it's an interesting idea... but, i just think it's unreasonable, there is nothing but guess work holding this theory together, I would probably be better off making up my own universe model than to be foolish enough to believe this one :P

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Windows 98 is like that drunk uncle that thinks he knows everything and always tries to convince you he was a CIA operative, and when you argue, he gets violent and then passes out.

These crystallographic universes are going to be a big PIA for some time to come. Because of the way the detection math is configured, the proponents can always point to the next-larger scale factor and say: "See-- you just didn't look hard enough." Mathematicians tend to see patterns, whether there are patterns there or not.

WMAP has already eliminated some scale factors from consideration, based on year 1 data. Subsequent data years, and subsequent missions will eliminate other scale factors, and some of the geometries, but there will always be a residue.

Don't expect that it will just go away. The best-known proponent of this type of theory is Jean-Pierre Luminet, a real astrophysicist who has published in both refereed and secular journals. If you have a strong stomach, some math skills, and a functional Bovine Scatology detector, google him to see if you can figure out whether he's serious. First--have fun! Steve

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Ignoramus et ignorabamus.-- Reymond

Wir mussen wissen. Wir werden wissen.--Hilbert

Pick one.

Perhaps the Sun is just a "reflection" of the Moon -- as it appeared eight minutes ago, when it was many times larger, brighter and hotter. And could it be -- I may be venturing into the territory of rank speculation here -- that Illinois is just a reflection of Indiana? According to my calculations, the universe is half a million miles long and just over six city blocks wide.

I came up with this theory based on a map on a placemat at Denny's and some graffiti I saw on a local underpass.

maybe it is bigger or smaller than we think but if we take those tiny tiny etc. realy tiny particles that are so small that an atom is as big as a galaxy to it wouldent that make our universe pritty big? also if it is so small what are we going to do about it??? i mean some day we probably will be able to do somthing about it. i hope...

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one day i hape the human race will unite but not out of a need for survival but out of love not hate and should that day not come then all of humanity is a failure
[thebest@vzavenue.net

I don't know what to make of it except to say that everything seems normal as long as you don't look too far into the future, or the past or anything on too small a scale or the universe on the macroscopic scale. You can learn so much from cosmology except what the universe is like on the grandscale (half joke).

It's taken mankind centuries to get used to the idea of an immense universe. Now they want us to start getting used to the idea of a small one?

yup a small imense universe thats a buble like all the other ones on the 3-D plane... odd isnt it we havent goten any contace from other dimentions or nexuses or anything. owel must mean so far we are the most advanced... and if were not well then we could be in for a beating if we encounter anything in our tiny imence univerese

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one day i hape the human race will unite but not out of a need for survival but out of love not hate and should that day not come then all of humanity is a failure
[thebest@vzavenue.net

haha i've been trying to picture this.. issit possible that the universe we're in is actually something like the interior of a super massive black hole!! lol.. so we can't go past the boundry

Attitudes here are reactionary, what if it's true? Do you really think you all know close to all there is to know about the universe? That your theories are rock-solid? What if it IS true? I think "azeari" speaks more truth than he/she intended!

Then there's the Torus theory. If you go cross-wise, you take a loop through the hole and come back here. If you turn left, you go around the hole and end up here, again. If you have a powerful enough telescope and look up, yoy see the bottom of your shoes. Look down and you see the back end of a mule.

Quick test: do all the other galaxies look like Andromeda? No? Well, that settles it. Still, it's worth testing the limits of our patience sometimes.

OK so it's rubbish theory, so what is REAL theory??? tell me before you make jokes, please. You tell me what is REAL truth out there! thank you

Quite sincerely, if any one knew the real "theory" this particular forum would be a rather mute point. And once again, sincerely, if anyone know the "real theory" , doubters would be coming out of the wood work.

All we (meaning I, myself, and who ever else cares to join in) can do, is expound our thoughts and maybe, someday, someone will say, "Wait a minute, this is all a bunch of hooie, but what if, ...."

Relax, enjoy and keep on truckin'.

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The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'
Isaac Asimov

They're still at it. This article reveals (gasp) that all finite geometries in 4-space except two have been eliminated:

http://arxiv.org/astro-ph/0504656

Higher-dimensional spaces are unconstrained. See, I toldja-- we're just not looking hard enough! [chuckle] Best regards-- Steve

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Ignoramus et ignorabamus.-- Reymond

Wir mussen wissen. Wir werden wissen.--Hilbert

Pick one.

It makes since that the universe is round like a planet and almost every other object in space. I don't think you can leave the universe, its not flat like people back in the days thought earth was. You can go around the universe, just like you can go around the world.....that's just my 2 cents, but to go around the universe will take many, many light-years, AUs or whatever
Question is....who made the universe....who made the "Big Bang", gravity & all that wierd stuff in space? Its just mind boggling!

I read the whole article, and it reminds of the game Black & White, in the intro of the game they're black spheres, and every sphere contains a universe, and also it reminds me of men in black the movie, where a galaxy is contained in a marble!!
LOL
Well i guess it alot like faith, you never know for sure.

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If this is the case then wouldnt the sky be as bright as the sun