We do?benk99nenm312 said:My question is, when we look into the farthest reaches of space, we see a small, finite baby universe.
davec426913 said:we do?
OK, the WMAP shows that the universe was small and hot at one point. This it the prevailing theory. The prevailing theory holds that the universe is about 78G ly across.benk99nenm312 said:The WMAP.
(poorly stated by me)
benk99nenm312 said:The most recent evidence on the shape of the universe tells us that it is perfectly flat (to within experimental and measurable error). So, what you're saying is that the prevailing theory contradicts the newest intel?
DaveC426913 said:I think that the starting premise: "if the universe is flat, it must be infinite" is flawed, or at least misunderstood.
Flatness simply refers to the balance between expansion and contraction; it does not imply infinite extent.
Parlyne said:It seems to me that you're confusing the idea of the entire universe with that of the observable universe. Since the universe has finite age and light travels at a finite speed, we can only observe structures that are close enough to us for light to have propagated to us within the time that the universe has existed. We generally expect that the universe is larger than just what we can see. I believe that the 78 Gly is the best number for the current size of the observable universe. It is unknown how much larger the whole universe is.
benk99nenm312 said:So what you're sayin gis that the observable universe was once very, very small, but the entire universe's size is unknown, even at the big bang?
A small flat universe is a theoretical concept in cosmology that suggests the universe is finite in size and has a flat or nearly flat geometry. This means that the universe has a constant curvature and is not expanding or contracting.
The concept of a small flat universe is based on the idea that the observable universe is only a small part of a much larger, infinite universe. This means that while the observable universe appears flat, the entire universe may have a different shape or curvature.
The concept of a small flat universe is supported by observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the leftover radiation from the Big Bang. These observations show that the universe has a nearly uniform temperature and density, which is consistent with a flat geometry.
Other cosmological models, such as the Big Bang theory, suggest that the universe is infinite in size and has a curved geometry. This means that the universe is either expanding or contracting and has a changing curvature over time.
The concept of a small flat universe is still a topic of debate in the scientific community. While some researchers support this idea, others propose alternative models for the shape and size of the universe. Further research and observations will be needed to fully understand the true nature of our universe.