What Would You See at the Threshold of the Expanding Universe?

[Wazkick3n]

Say you were at the very edge of the universe and moving with it at the expansion rate and you look out to the "nothingness" what would you see?

I personally think that the "Ganzfield Effect" would take place, when some of your perceptions are shut then your mind compensates. So I was thinking that the person would see what he/she perceives as nothing. So if someone thinks nothing is a vast whiteness that's what they'd see.

I'm not very experienced with the calculations and all but I do have a very open mind and I think. So what do you guys think?

 

[Drakkith]

There is no edge to the universe. The expansion of the universe isn't an expansion of the universe INTO space where nothing is. Instead, it is an expansion OF space itself. This causes everything in the universe to constantly have increasing distance between everything else. Gravity currently overpowers the expansion of space on the scale of galaxy clusters and below, so the effect isn't noticeable on our scale. Only when we look at VERY far away objects can we see this effect.

 

[Wazkick3n]

There is no edge to the universe. The expansion of the universe isn't an expansion of the universe INTO space where nothing is. Instead, it is an expansion OF space itself. This causes everything in the universe to constantly have increasing distance between everything else. Gravity currently overpowers the expansion of space on the scale of galaxy clusters and below, so the effect isn't noticeable on our scale. Only when we look at VERY far away objects can we see this effect.

If there isn't an edge to the universe tis infers that the universe is infinite which I don't believe. The universe if finite to my knowledge so that would technically mean that there is an "edge" (though not strictly speaking). And yes it is the expansion OF space but what's outside it? This is where space isn't.

 

[JaredJames]

If there isn't an edge to the universe tis infers that the universe is infinite which I don't believe. The universe if finite to my knowledge so that would technically mean that there is an "edge" (though not strictly speaking). And yes it is the expansion OF space but what's outside it? This is where space isn't.

The universe doesn't have to be infinite not to have an edge.

Every point in the universe is appears to be at the centre. Imagine the universe as a sphere and you are a point on its surface. No matter what direction you go in you will always reference yourself to be at the centre and there are no edges.

 

[Wazkick3n]

The universe doesn't have to be infinite not to have an edge.

Every point in the universe is appears to be at the centre. Imagine the universe as a sphere and you are a point on its surface. No matter what direction you go in you will always reference yourself to be at the centre and there are no edges.

True. But what if you were to break the sphere, as in move outside the sphere? This is the "nothing" to which I'm inferring to. Or would it be another universe entirely?
What I'm asking is WHAT IF?

 

[JaredJames]

True. But what if you were to break the sphere, as in move outside the sphere? This is the "nothing" to which I'm inferring to. Or would it be another universe entirely?
What I'm asking is WHAT IF?

What your asking cannot be answered by current science then. We simply don't know.

 

[Wazkick3n]

What your asking cannot be answered by current science then. We simply don't know.

This is why I'm asking for opinions, I need to develop on my ideas and any opinions would be taken into consideration.

 

[JaredJames]

This is why I'm asking for opinions, I need to develop on my ideas and any opinions would be taken into consideration.

This website discusses mainstream science only. Wild speculation is not acceptable here.

 

[russ_watters]

True. But what if you were to break the sphere, as in move outside the sphere? This is the "nothing" to which I'm inferring to. Or would it be another universe entirely?

That's not how it works. The sphere analogy is a 2d analogy for the 3d of space. In the 2d analogy you can only move along the surface of the sphere. Space works the same way. There is no "outside the sphere".

What I'm asking is WHAT IF?

If the universe worked the way you think it does (and we were near this nonexistent edge), we'd look up (with our eyes or a telecope) and see a black sky.

 

[Drakkith]

This is why I'm asking for opinions, I need to develop on my ideas and any opinions would be taken into consideration.

You're on the wrong website then. Speculation is against PF rules. However, you could learn WHY the current view on the universe is the way it is and perhaps that would help you develop your views further.

 

[Wazkick3n]

You're on the wrong website then. Speculation is against PF rules. However, you could learn WHY the current view on the universe is the way it is and perhaps that would help you develop your views further.

Alright then, explain how the current structure of the universe can be viewed? Analogies would be nice.

 

[Drakkith]

Alright then, explain how the current structure of the universe can be viewed? Analogies would be nice.

Alright, what would you like to know? I'm not an expert so don't expect all the nitty gritty details and math and stuff, but I can give you a good general overview.

 

[Wazkick3n]

If the current universe is a closed spherical one, why does it mean that if you go far enough in one direction you'd end up where you started? Because I mean in a balloon you'd just hit the rubber skin.

 

[Drakkith]

If the current universe is a closed spherical one, why does it mean that if you go far enough in one direction you'd end up where you started? Because I mean in a balloon you'd just hit the rubber skin.

Because the baloon thing is just an analogy, a useful way of illustrating the situation. In that analogy you couldn't hit the skin as you would be traveling ON it and could not go "in or out" as you will.

The universe is similar. Whichever way you go, it either never ends, or it leads right back to the starting point. Similar to walking across the earth. If you keep going you will get right back to the place you started.

 

[russ_watters]

If the current universe is a closed spherical one, why does it mean that if you go far enough in one direction you'd end up where you started? Because I mean in a balloon you'd just hit the rubber skin.

You're not listening when the analogy is being explained to you. Please try to pay more attention rather than being so dismissive of the help people are trying to give you. Please read the explanation of how the analogy works in my previous post.

 

[Chronos]

Under the Copernican principle, the universe looks the same in every direction from everwhere inside it. Current observational evidence supports that principle. We already are at the temporal edge of the universe - the oldest point in the observable universe. If the universe were not 'Copernican' we should see an absolute void in the direction opposite its 'center'. We do not - probably because the universe has no center or edge.