Do you believe the Universe is Infinite or Finite?

[Physics-Man]

Finite

Infinite

Other

[ChrisMaster69]

I’m a Flat Universer

it’s like a flat Earther but bigger lol.

Seriously no one actually knows or even if it’s the only universe.

https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/5-8/features/F_How_Big_is_Our_Universe.html

is the universe like a larger version of a galaxy

as we have billions of galaxies in our universe.

does our universe then sit inside a multiverse etc

[Cycloteur]

Its both in a way as its finit wrt. what an observer might discover from a given point and its infinite in that you. An never reach or observe an edge.
We grasp our existence in a mostly 3D way, hence there is no way for us to catch up with the expansion even with infinite time available to us as the expansion appears to be faster than c and we can only travel <<c and observe close to c.
The more you try and understand of this the less you really know as you realise that the true understanding is watly more complex and completely different than what you thought.
Its so much to do to make this earth a better place so I chose to focus here and not on whats out there. The smart people can do that instead.

[Anonymous]

We don’t know, although there are speculations. For example, we can mathematically estimate the size of our observable universe, which then allows us to speculate on the size of the “entire universe”. With this we know that there is a furthest point in one direction, but the Big Bang is simply the furthest by which we can go back in time. We don’t know if there was anything “before,” an existence that prevailed in a time before time.

[FreyaRed]

According to data from telescopes visible universe ends 14,7 billion light years from our point of view in any direction. Therefore it ends.
It's possible that structures of dark mater and dark energy which interact with our baryonic matter due gravity are bigger and older, therefore our universe bubble is just a part of a much bigger one. However we can only speculate in this question.

[Sonorous]

I believe whatever Brian Cox believes.

[MCheetah]

Limiting things to just this universe and not bringing in the multiverse, I believe the universe is finite, since the universe is ever-expanding. This implies, there is an area to which it has not reached yet, and that may or may not be the "non-existence" limit point of the universe. Kind of like living inside a balloon that is inflating bigger and bigger.

[AviatorTom]

I believe the universe is infinite, but I have to explain what infinite means.

First off, infinite does not mean without end. The concept of infinity is actually quite simple. You give me a number, any number, the size of the universe for example. I'll add one to your number and call that infinity.

[TadCurious]

I have always wondered about this question. I don't have the scientific knowledge to really get my mind around the issue, but for me it's mindboggling. I do know that the astrophysicists tell us that the universe is expanding but my limited understanding is that it's as yet unknown whether the expansion will forever continue. I have heard it said that the universe has no edge and no center. But what exactly does that mean?

[Jersey2]

It’s finite but growing rapidly. It will either expand infinitely or it will collapse on itself. Perhaps all of the science loving atheists can tell us what is beyond the universe or perhaps what happened in the first instance of the Big Bang or even what happened before the universe was born… I won’t hold my breath.

[ODC2112]

I don't know. Define finite o infinte before. If is like in math where infinite is a big number (that in statistics is 30 for central limit theorem). If Big Bang theory is correct it is still in expansion. But we don't know what was the mass of primigenous nucleus that create the big bang. But, we don't know if it is correct and we don't know almost everything. If infinite is very big, yes it is infinite, but not indefinite.

[AllThatSweetJazz]

I want to say finite but infinitely expanding.
But I also feel like infinite and finite kind of break down at the limit of the "edge" of the universe. Like, I don't know what that's really supposed to mean out there.
One day I'd like to be able to dig into Einstein's astronomy work intuitively, but fuck if it doesn't seem like the least practical thing to spend time on.

[Likes2drive]

Infinite, there is no end to it , there is no wall at the end because what would be on the other side of it? Our brains are trained to think that there is always something inside of something or that there is an end but in reality there is nothing but just emptiness, problem I have is where did all the matter originate from to come to being here in our universe. Or are we all just in The Matrix?

[Buntyp]

Apparently, it just won't stop expanding, so I'm going with infinite, unless, of course, it suddenly bumps into something and, not long after that, none of any of this matters--which will happen soon enough, anyway : )

[sensible27]

I never understood infinites. But an infinite universe feels off because well we can measure the speed sort of, given that there's a speed of expansion in big bang even if it's higher than light speed assuming the universe is infinite is just odd.

[Neosporin]

You not understanding infinities is more a sign of your own lack of intelligence than anything inherently wrong with the concept of infinity. Also you might want to work on typing proper English before you try to sound intelligent. Seriously do you even go to college

[sensible27]

Can I ask what your background in physics and math is and if you understand infinites?

[Neosporin]

Tell me what the fuck this sentence is supposed to mean in proper English: "But an infinite universe feels off (how do you feel an infinite universe?) because well we can measure the speed sort of (speed of what?), given that there's a speed of expansion in big bang even if it's higher than light speed assuming the universe is infinite is just odd (How is assuming the universe is infinite in any way related to the speed of expansion of the big bang? DO YOU EVEN TRY TO THINK BEFORE YOU WRITE? YOU FUCKING IDIOT)."

[Neosporin]

YOU
ARE
SO
UNEDUCATED

[sensible27]

Doesn't answer my question

"Feels off" means the concept doesn't sit well with me

Speed of expansion. What's said here is if the speed of expansion is not infinite the size of the universe can't be

Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it's by default wrong. Feels off is not a super uncommon statement and the expansion logic seems sound

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

Probably infinite.

That being said, our problems seem so small when I remember the universe is so big.

[De_La_BakedBeans]

This is always confusing...
It's impossible for the universe to end...
But it's impossible for it to go on forever...
So what the actual f*ck is it supposed to do?

[De_La_BakedBeans]

Wait... What if it's a cycle?

[purplepoppy]

I see it more as an ocean wrapped around an empty bubble. Movement within is infinite but it has a wobbly border.

[Neosporin]

The universe is finite but expanding indefinitely via dark energy expansion. What’s is it expanding into? Probably just some sort of higher dimensions who knows

[ChiTown33]

Well it's still expanding right? And speeding up. That would kind of make it infinite by definition right?
I guess it would depend what is outside the universe.

[tartaarsaus]

Finite but it is expanding, as that can be observed. Do we know how it is expanding? No. Do we know how fast it is expanding? Not really. But we know it is expanding

[Jesuswasahue]

This isn't something anyone should have a belief about. No one knows. That is the only answer anyone should have. If you have any other answer, you are either an idiot or a genius like the world has ever seen, and if you like that last part, you're the idiot. lol

[IncognitoBandito]

Someone let the Edgelord out of his crib again!

[Jesuswasahue]

@IncognitoBandito exactly! Lol 😂 it’s funny isn’t it

[Aerissa_Jade]

You mean if we go far enough in one direction we do not suddenly show up on the other side?

[Alisa158]

People's cognition of unknown territory is limited, so subconsciously it is infinite.

[Twalli]

It's constantly growing at a rate faster than we can surpass, so it is infinite as far as we're concerned, but if it was infinite then it couldn't expand.

[Juxtapose]

I frankly don't know and don't have enough data to even guess. The observable universe doesn't really give us much insight into that.

[Jesuswasahue]

Good answer

[genericname85]

Probably infinite. Cause because if it was finite, then what's beyond the end of it?

[Jesuswasahue]

Nothing.

[genericname85]

@Jesuswasahue well nothing is still empty room.

[Jesuswasahue]

Nope. You've still got a room, and emptiness. Probably too complex for you to understand, honestly, for both of us, And any human.

[Jesuswasahue]

Nothingness cannot contain emptiness. Because emptiness implies space. Get smarter

[genericname85]

@Jesuswasahue well there is complete and 100% nothingness on vast spaces between the planets. So then how do you picture the transition from the nothingness of the universe to the nothingness of outside of the universe if you could theoretically go there?

[genericname85]

@Jesuswasahue and stop thinking you're smart for having an opinion. Everyone has one.

[Jesuswasahue]

Wrong. Between planets there is space: that is something

[genericname85]

@Jesuswasahue space is not a thing. It's just a framework our mind uses like a container to fill with stuff. It's not something in the real world.

[Jesuswasahue]

I guess Einstein was wrong then

[genericname85]

@Jesuswasahue well what the heck does einstein know about the finiteness or infiniteness of the univers? all einstein, or any human ever in existence could ever study was "all that we can observe. and what we can observe is that apparently everything that we see moves a certain direction away from a certain point. but we can never see what's beyond everything that we see and actually what we can observe becomes less by the day, cause it moves out of our "vision".

so making statements on what's likely beyond is nothing but purely speculative. i spekulate that beyond what we can see is just more of what we can see.

you specualte that outside of what we can see, suddenly something happens which we can not observe.

so you may be right. and also i may be right. and you won't be able to leave this discussion with your dignity intact if you don't accept the fact that neither of us can be the "right" here.

[genericname85]

you can however leave this discussion, still calling me an idiot without any rasoning outside of calling me an idiots, which is what idiots typically do. so choose wisely what you say next.

[genericname85]

"i guess einstein was wrong". notice how you borrowd the authority of einstein there without actually delivering an argument at all. this is truly stupid people behavior. i have faith that you can do better.

[Jesuswasahue]

Yeah, Einstein’s theory or relativity is literally about space/time, and you are saying space doesn’t exist, like an idiot.

[Jesuswasahue]

Sorry for “borrowing” from one of the greatest minds to have ever existed🙃 moron

[Jesuswasahue]

Science is made for borrowing, that’s literally the whole point of science.

[genericname85]

@Jesuswasahue i didn't say space doesn't exist. I said nothing is a thing that exists in space.

[genericname85]

And this nothingness seems to fill everything. Because nothing is what we call, when there's not a thing. You're actually claiming that there's places where space doesn't exist. By saying that the universe is finite. So outside of the universe what is there? If not space, you literally say space doesn't exist and thus you're the one contradicting the very authority that you stole.

[Jesuswasahue]

Nope, because space is something.

[Jesuswasahue]

Also nope. I didn’t say anything. My answer is that we don’t know, and suggesting otherwise is stupid

[genericname85]

@Jesuswasahue you said there's an end to space, cause you said the universe isn't infinite. meaning outside of space there's nothing not even space. so you said space doesn't exist there. i didn't say space doesn't exist. you did.

[genericname85]

i'm just saying that "space" is conceptually just a frame of reference. not an actual thing in the real world.

like a plane in a coordinate system is a "space". it can only exist in concept. so it is actually detached from the actual physical world. so lets think about an arbitrary place between the earth solar system and the next star. like one cubic meter of arbitrary space. what is there? maybe gravitation? ok. take that away. what's left? maybe radiation? take that away. and so on. if you take everything away. what is "room" other than just the arbitrary measurement? a frame of reference. it is not a thing. not a container of sorts.

[genericname85]

so i'm just saying that "nothing" is already all around us. not far fetched to assume that there's endless nothingness out there.

[Jesuswasahue]

No, I said we don’t know.

[genericname85]

@Jesuswasahue oh now suddenly you day we don't know. Initially your called me an idiot for my opinion. Get your shit together.

[anylolone]

Doesn't matter much if we are casually disconnected to most of it.
It seems pretty flat, so I'd say infinite.

[jahaims]

It isn't flat lol. It is four dimensional

[anylolone]

@jahaims Good joke, but you know what "flat" means in this context.

[boobliker]

I do think it goes a long long way but have no idea what is at the end or edge?

[clampfan101]

Finite, but I’m sure we won’t get the chance to explore the ends of it.

[postaldudePL123]

Nobody knows! But the current guess is it's a multiverse and it's infinite.

I also believe in parallel universes.

[Dinosaursandanime65]

They are, and they also kind of aren’t, because you can go beyond them

[slatyb]

Given that we're stuck on the surface of Earth, I don't worry about it.

[Agape93]

Its finite with possibly infinite potential growth

[annabananna]

The universe is just beyond my comprehension

[loveslongnails]

Sure seems infinite to me! LOL

[Jmmmfi4]

Finite

[Anonymous]

Infinite

[AndrésC64]

We don't know