How do you view the universe?

I am in an astronomy and cosmology mood today, so I shall be posing a few questions for the lovely denizens of the Discussion Agora if they are so interested.

The universe is literally everything we can comprehend and what we are unable to comprehend. It is our home, and yet, we are much too small for it. Some may even call our position as a tiny little speck of blue floating in a vast cosmic sea as "insignificant". But that is not the question I pose to you today, because I personally feel that even in our blue speck of dust, the universe lies within our very own contemplation.

What I do ask is how you view the universe as a whole.

• What ideas on the shape or structure of the universe do you agree with and support the most?
• Do you think that multiple universes exist?
• Will we be able to comprehend the size of the universe to the point of easy travel through its immense size, if "comprehension" is even necessary?
• Out of the many hypotheses, how do you think the universe was created?
• If there are statistically other intelligent organisms existing in our universe, where are they, and why have they not appeared to us yet?
• Will all universes with similar conditions eventually form intelligent life fitting with their internal physics?
• What is the role, if any, of life in a universe?

 

I don't think of what structure the universe has at all.
I think it is possible but won't believe it until I see it.
With the way many people seem to be growing and the planet's state I am not sure we will live long enough to know.
I personally think the Big bang theory is most likely since it seems to explain everything I can see when I look into the night sky.
I would consider other life in the universe would have a different time scale to us. So it is likely they haven't appeared because they are either too far ahead or behind us.
That can not be considered with out the knowledge of the life form to which in intelligence would belong.
The role of life in the universe to me is just as proof life can exist there even if it is as primitive as a plant or as advanced as us humans.

 

This topic, I am definitely going to keep a close eye on. It's such an interesting subject to me. Now, onto my answers...

I'm not certain that something so vast and incomprehensible can have a true shape, but if I had to say; it's like a large bubble, and inside that bubble is the extent of the reach of our particular physical laws. Other universes may have similar or even identical laws, but they are their own, and not shared between realities or universes.

Absolutely. Every single possibility and choice affects the world around it, and without alternate universes to contain every one of those possibilities, that simply isn't something that could be done. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and for every decision there is an alternate universe in which the outcome is different.

The human mind is, in my opinion, physically incapable of comprehending the entirety of the universe, but on a small scale, we may understand our galaxy enough to travel around it. The entire universe though, no, I believe it's not our place to be able to get that far.

Now I'm likely to get people calling me strange or something for this, but my beliefs are actually a self-formed amalgamation of many religions and scientific theories. Essentially, I believe that the Big Bang happened, but that it was instigated by a 'God' of sorts, if you will, who after creating everything in a slow, indirect way, stepped back and allowed their creations to walk their own path. It's entirely possible, and quite likely in fact, that the ever-expanding nature of the universe is a result of them creating more.

First of all; yes, I believe we are not alone in the universe, and the reason they haven't appeared to us is the same as why we haven't appeared to them. The universe is simply too large and expansive for any one species to extend their reach throughout the entirety of it, and it's plausible that we may never encounter each other. However, if we all keep wanting to meet, and genuinely as a species have peace in our minds about it, there is no reason for us to not be able to form interspecies friendships if a chance arises, and that's something that I wish I would be able to live long enough to see.

Yes, and the reason I think so will be made clear in my answer to the next question.

If I am correct, and there is a God-like being who created all of existence, then the answer is very simple; to provide them with an audience for their creation.
When you build something you are proud of in a video game, you want to share it. You take a screenshot, or you invite people into the game with you to see it. You don't want to keep it all to yourself.
Existence is God's creation, and we were pushed into existing because without us the multiverse would be a hollow meaningless object with no soul or reason to exist other than the relief of their boredom. Our existence, therefore, is akin to the audience of a play. We're here to live, explore, and enjoy the work that was put into the formation of everything.

I hope that's sufficient.

 

Those that are scientifically backed up. Those I support the most are those whose reasoning I actually understand, I believe in gravity much more than in the big bang.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Maybe, let' s try not to **** Earth up in the meantime. I read some scientists are more interested in the weight of the universe : if it is too heavy then expansion will eventually cease and reverse, leading to a Big Crunch.

I haven' t read anything but the Big Bang theory, though I heard that there are other alternatives and that not all scientists believe the Big Bang theory to be the most compelling. As for any kind of intelligent design so far I haven' t heard of any compelling evidence to support it.

If there are then chances are they face the same limitations as we do.

That is if they even care about making contact.

Apart from the survival instincts ingrained in our DNA ... ?

 

What ideas on the shape or structure of the universe do you agree with and support the most?
They say the universe is always expanding but what into? If the universe is everything then there should be nothing is can expand to. It has no structure because to have structure you require mass and atoms and since most of space in a vacuum it can have to end because it mostly is just nothingness.

Do you think that multiple universes exist?
I have no concrete answer to this but I like to believe there are infinite parallel universes around. I can't remember the theory (Quantum something or other) that says for every choice we make there is a parallel universe where you made the other choice or something like that. I find comfort in this idea and I hope I'm never disproven because the idea of one day meeting another me would be fascinating.

Will we be able to comprehend the size of the universe to the point of easy travel through its immense size, if "comprehension" is even necessary?
Perhaps one day we'll be able to travel around it better but I believe it's a long way off cimply because we'd need an energy source that powerful and a ship crew that don't mind spending forever travelling. Perhaps we'll just have invent time travel first and as we travel through space we are constantly going back in time so it actually takes no time at all xD but perhaps that won't work. As to will we be able to comprehend the universe... I don't know- the idea of comprehending everything in existence is hard- we'll have to see what else is out there as well.

Out of the many hypotheses, how do you think the universe was created?
I believe in God but beyond that I'm not sure- I believe he created the universe but I still haven't made up my mind on how. For some reason, I dislike the big bang theory even though it currently is the one that makes most sense.

If there are statistically other intelligent organisms existing in our universe, where are they, and why have they not appeared to us yet?
Perhaps they don't care enough to travel or maybe they just haven't reached us yet. I still like the idea that maybe they already have, we just haven't noticed yet due to inferior technology or something xD but I highly doubt that is the actual case. If the universe is so big then they could have gone off in any direction in search of life- they have yet to find us though (perhaps they went in the wrong direction to us).

Will all universes with similar conditions eventually form intelligent life fitting with their internal physics?
Yes, it's hard to regulate such conditions but life is out there... it just has to be- I hate the idea that we are alone in this huge universe. Their laws of science may differ from ours due to being a different distance from other planets or a different main element they're built from (like for us that's carbon). I can't comprehend all the possibilities but I like to hope that there are others out there.

What is the role, if any, of life in a universe?
The role of life is to live. As simple as that- we have been given consciousness and we should embrace and enjoy that as much as possible but not at the expense of others.

 

You' re in luck then, sort of, multiverse theories are just as unfalsifiable as the existence of god(s). But then the burden of proof lies on you to begin with. Since you hope to become a doctor someday I suppose you' re aware that believing in it anyway is fallacious, it' s the same as jailing someone on a gut feeling, in spite of the absence of conclusive evidence.

 

And it looks like that cool unprovable idea of the multiverse is actually starting to gain some weight in cosmology.

I'll reply to the questions asked in the opening post later.

 

Of course I see the universe and dealing with human life as two separate things. God may be unfalsifiable and yet I still believe in his existence because I have my own personal proof. I know none for the existenec of multiple universes I just like the idea and run with it because it can't be disproven. But when the time comes where I have to deal with human life I will of course rely on evidence.

Innocent until proven guilty of course. :3

 

This is not the first time I see you saying stuff like this, though you were much more vague before, and it puzzles me every time. If he did kick the whole thing off then isn' t he not entirely metaphysical ? Shouldn' t there be evidence for that kick ? Why would you call it God specifically, instead of leaving it as the question mark that it is ?

Third option for me : neither believe nor disbelieve, just reject (not guilty =/= innocent).

 

Well, let me put it this way : would you believe that I' m the real culprit of the Connecticut shootings, based on the possibility that I might just have metaphysical powers allowing me to shape reality without leaving any physical evidence behind ? If (as I assume) you wouldn' t, then your belief in a universe-kicking god looks like special pleading to me.

 

I agree that the universe is infinite and forever expanding. That is logical and believable, at least to me.

Yes, I believe in parallel dimensions in which multiple unique universes exist.

I should hope so. Maybe one day we can even find "shortcuts" for travelling through space. (Didn't mean to get all Doctor Whoish right there.)

I tend to agree with the "Big Bang" theory. The universe is forever expanding outward, thus it must have coincided at a single point in the past.

They could ask the same question. Perhaps for the same reason we have yet to appear to them. Lack of a means to travel through space that easily. Perhaps there is a society out there that is even further behind in development than ours. There could also be one that is further ahead, but still lacks the capability to travel to different galaxies.

I believe that any universe hosting a planet with the correct resources could eventually host intelligent life. It would still need the means to allow biological entities to reside on it. It would require an atmosphere like Earth's. At least going by what we know of biological life forms. There might be forms of life that can survive without the things we need. We've yet to see it, so we've also yet to know.

That is the age old question we've been asking ourselves. "Why are we here?" I don't know if there is a "role" or a "reason" necessarily as to why we exist in this life, or at least not one predetermined. I believe that our role/reason/meaning is what we make of it. We choose how we exist in this world. "What is the meaning of life?" Whatever you perceive it to be. Isn't that how our world exists? Is that not the only reason our world exists? Because we perceive it to be so. In other words, life is what you make of it. Make it count.

 

I really do love the universe so this should be fun.

I believe that the universe has no definite "shape". The universe is expanding at the same ratio in all directions, so it is fitting to say it is sphere shaped, I also believe in the "loop" idea, basically it means if one was to reach the end of the universe, but continue on, you would end up at the other end of the universe, resulting in a "loop".

Absolutely. There is an infinite amount of parallel universe, for everything you do, you create an infinite amount of options, turning right on a two way fork in the road for example. For everything that can possibly happen, there is a universe.

I think the universe is too big too even imagine. No matter how hard one tries, you will never even come close to the real size of the universe. The speed of light is the most appropriate speed for space travel, but there is a law of the universe stating that nothing can go faster or match the speed of light. When an object becomes close to that speed, time slows down. So you can time travel by doing so(that is a completely different topic all together though). So, yes, I believe space travel is possible, it already is possible, but is highly difficult.

I believe that with the size of the universe, aliens are there. Now this is where aliens get interesting. What does life have to look like? There could be life inside stars, comets could be a type pf alien too, gasses that are alive, creatures feeding of storms on gass planets, giant planet eating aliens. Aliens are just as common as we are in the universe I believe. Aliens have not yet visited our planet because, the universe is massive. Also, why do aliens have to travel through space, why would you travel uncomprehendable spaces to arrive to one measly planet and abduct one measly human for some "experiments". We haven't we visited other planets? To aliens, we are aliens.

I will answer both of these here, since I believe in the multiple universes theory, yes life in other universes is possible, they are exactly the same. Life in the universe is, sorry to say, meaningless, it is just a by product of the universe, the universe has no mind of feelings or emotions, it has no mind, it's only reason is to be there. Stars, planets, blackholes and supernovas are much more present in the universe than some tiny life forms with such brains incapable of truly understandings it's awe and power.

 

It depends on how a lot of people view the universe. I view it as an expanding widened space that goes on forever and ever. I'd think that if multiple universes did exist, we would be able to visit them, but that would mean making high-tech technology. Some people thought the universe was created by God--the all supernatural being but I think the Big Bang had created the universe a hundred trillion years ago before life even started. There are actually other species out there, but they are way too far away. If you hadn't seen any UFOs in videos, those might be them dropping over for tea. cx

I've actually been wondering--what if there were other life forms out there similar to us humans? That would be pretty awkward...

 

I read an article about that years ago, where scientists tried to think of weird alternatives. For instance most (all ?) of Earth life-forms are carbon based, so they tried to imagine ammoniac or silicon based life-forms. They also explained how the planet gravity would affect legs proportions. Also, just like on Earth, they wouldn' t necessarily be impressively smart : evolution is all about survival, intelligence is merely one of the numerous possible means to that end and it' s not necessarily the most efficient (viruses are above us in the food chain).

Not sure what you meant by similar, but the odds for them to be extremely similar to us are abysmally low.

 

A big bubble, but not a bubble. There isn't really any shape, and could change at any time.

Yes.

No. We may be able to one day travel through the universe, but the human mind will never be able to fully understand it.

God created it. If there was a bang, it was him.

They might have already made contact with us and we haven't realized it yet, but to answer the question: Earth, maybe, and everywhere throughout the universes; because either they aren't advanced enough to find us, or they don't want anything to do with us.

Not all of them, but yeah, sure.

To live.

 

Well, there is always a conflict between the objective and subjective on that matter. To begin with, i believe that the universe is not something in perfect order that is discovered through logic, language and science (as view since Aristotle) , but it is in fact very related to how the consciousness acts and how language makes the concepts. An eternal fold on our own cognitive endeavors. I see the universe as a folding spiral within a stream of consciousness that acts as a judge to the reality that is only on our being and the collective one.