9
votes
Why do scientists assume they can measure the shape of the universe if it is also widely believed to be infinite?
Yes, the universe is believed to be infinite in size. That's what you get if the curvature is zero or negative, assuming a simple topology. The curvature has to be positive for a finite universe, once ...
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5
votes
Why do scientists assume they can measure the shape of the universe if it is also widely believed to be infinite?
If it is really infinite then shouldn't such measurements be inconsequential as an infinite curved universe would still appear perfectly flat to a local observer?
No, it wouldn't necessarily. It ...
- 17.5k
3
votes
Universe becoming finite
If the density of the universe is high enough then the mass of the universe would be enough to eventually stop expansion and cause the universe to contract (the critical density is about $10^{-26}\, \...
- 88.7k
2
votes
Measuring the size and the geometry of Universe
The relative recent WMAP result shows, the Universe seems infinite.
However, the "is the Universe infinite" question has a hidden problem: it doesn't matter, how far away can we see, we can't be sure,...
- 3,092
1
vote
Why doesn't a singularity spin infinitely fast?
Your intuition is correct, as far as classical dynamics is concerned. The main problem, I think, arises in that you are referring to a strictly quantum mechanical phenomenon - what is the physical ...
- 3,819
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