Comments:Scientists conclude that the universe may expand forever

From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Back to article

This page is for commentary on the news. If you wish to point out a problem in the article (e.g. factual error, etc), please use its regular collaboration page instead. Comments on this page do not need to adhere to the Neutral Point of View policy. Please remain on topic and avoid offensive or inflammatory comments where possible. Try thought-provoking, insightful, or controversial. Civil discussion and polite sparring make our comments pages a fun and friendly place. Please think of this when posting.

Use the "Start a new discussion" button just below to start a new discussion. If the button isn't there, wait a few seconds and click this link: Refresh.

Start a new discussion

Contents

Thread titleRepliesLast modified
Comments from feedback form - "Provide a link to the study ??..."023:45, 10 July 2012
Comments from feedback form - "its too short i want a complet..."211:05, 14 September 2010
Comments from feedback form - "This information is only based..."017:11, 13 September 2010
For the First Time? No, sorry.016:37, 1 September 2010
Curses!819:20, 30 August 2010
I love scientists012:35, 23 August 2010

Comments from feedback form - "Provide a link to the study ??..."

Provide a link to the study ????

98.225.208.165 (talk)23:45, 10 July 2012

Comments from feedback form - "its too short i want a complet..."

its too short i want a complete study on this

27.107.9.92 (talk)11:00, 2 September 2010

Its rather rude to just say "I want" something. If you want a complete study, write one. Just don't complain about someone else's hard work when you haven't done anything to help Wikinews.

WackyWacetalk17:40, 13 September 2010

The feedback form encourages pithy comments. Take this as a vote of encouragement to those who want to write (or link to) longer science articles.

InfantGorilla (talk)11:05, 14 September 2010
 
 

Comments from feedback form - "This information is only based..."

This information is only based off of what is referred to as "the known universe." It doesn't take a PHD to consider the possibility that dark matter is in less concentrations at other parts of the universe.

130.101.90.21 (talk)17:11, 13 September 2010

For the First Time? No, sorry.

"Jullo says that scientists can now say, for the first time, that the universe "will continue to accelerate and the universe will expand forever"."

I am pretty sure that this is not the first time.

Gandhios (talk)16:37, 1 September 2010

Oh, how sad, all this time I was looking forward to colliding with the Andromeda galaxy in 4.5 billion years!

Funny, a couple of decades ago the consensus was the exact opposite, that we were headed towards the Big Crunch. Of course that was before "dark matter" was taken seriously. The problem with Quantum Mechanics is that unlike most of the physical sciences, very little of it is empirical, they make most of it up as they go along.

67.142.172.29 (talk)02:11, 21 August 2010

So, where did you get your PhD in Physics?

68.203.128.196 (talk)05:25, 21 August 2010
 

The expansion of the universe becomes noticeable only on a scale way larger than the one of a galaxy (at least one hundred million light-years, one thousand times the size of the Milky Way). It has very little or no influence on local dynamics. In fact the collision between our galaxy and Andromeda will happen in a few billions of years (three billion or something approaching, the Sun will still exist at that time), but it has nothing to do with the expansion of the universe.

81.185.159.85 (talk)13:38, 21 August 2010

Indeed, I was well aware that the two events are entirely unrelated. I was just referring to the lively dynamics of The Local Group to illustrate the remoteness of the timescale considered when we talk about The Universe expanding indefinitely. Yes the Sun will likely still be kicking when we crash into Andromeda, but by then - at least according to most models-it will have expanded to the size where it will have engulfed the Earth- or pushed the Earth's orbit farther out into the solar system- in either case The Earth's atmosphere will have long been stripped away by the Solar wind. As a cooler red giant It will have fused virtually all of its hydrogen and most of its remaining supplies of helium and will be puttering out as it struggles to make do with carbon and oxygen.

67.142.172.20 (talk)01:50, 22 August 2010
 

Dark matter (which contributes to a potential Big Crunch) is unrelated to Dark Energy (which contributes/is the accelerating expansion of the universe). Generally the evidence for either is empirical; we're still figuring out the math to find the rest of their influence and how they work... we're still working on the theories (i.e. theoretical evidence).

67.238.173.253 (talk)18:39, 21 August 2010

Theoretical evidence, precisely- which begs the question,: Aren't the terms "Dark Matter", as well as "Dark Energy" for that matter merely theoretical metaphors for the multitude of observations which seem to contradict our current mathematical explanations of gravity, and our understanding of energy? Rather than embodying a literal description of the phenomena observed, these terms seem to be convenient substitutes for the gaps in our empirical knowledge.

67.142.172.20 (talk)01:58, 22 August 2010

Yes. I am pretty sure are metaphors. Dark energy seems to be another name for the accelerated expansion itself, and doesn't address an underlying cause for this observed acceleration.

InfantGorilla (talk)15:23, 23 August 2010

Since we don't know what 'Dark Energy' is it is still possible that it isn't a constant force. Theoretically it could decrease in energy over time eventually losing its ability to accelerate the expansion of the universe against gravity. In other words, gravity could eventually get the upper hand to slow and then reverse the expansion (if dark energy is losing force over time) . . .

All to say we can't say CONCLUSIVELY that the Universe will continue expanding forever . . . .

75.57.151.229 (talk)19:05, 30 August 2010

Sounds fair to me. I expect cosmologist's use Occam's razor to eliminate, until calculation or observation prove otherwise, such complexities.

InfantGorilla (talk)19:20, 30 August 2010
 
 
 
 
 

I love scientists

"We have determined beyond reasonable doubt that the universe may or may not expand forever."

They give politicians a run for their money here!

74.212.26.6 (talk)12:35, 23 August 2010