Big Bang 1of4: Expanding infinity

Lecture by Professor Richard Muller of the University California, Berkeley. Taken from Lecture 26 of the spring 2006 webcasts of Physics For Future Presidents. Also known as Descriptive Introduction to Physics. Empahsis is on conceptual understanding, rather than mathematics.

All Lectures:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=095393D5B42B2266

Category:

Education

Tags:

• big
• bang
• expanding
• universe
• creation
• physics
• science
• infinity
• relativity

[shamalbaba]

Is the expansion of universe having an impact on the density of matter in universe? If not then more matter must be constantly forming. In this case do we know what the format of the new matter is?

[theinquisitor]

As I understand it, the expansion of space is indeed decreasing the overall density of matter. Formation of new matter would violate the law of conservation of mass, and as far as I know has not been observed.

The expansion will continue into the far future until it tears apart galaxies and solar systems. Even the atoms and subatomic particles will be torn apart in what's called the "Big Rip", leaving only an increasingly dilute volume of energy. However this much is far from certain as of yet.

[ALogicalConstruct]

That doesn't mean that a "god theory" is equal to a expansionary universe theory, or the theory of evolution.

God theory = Flying spaghetti monster theory

Those are not in the same league as scientific theories.

[akontistiss]

using the bible you will only get more confused.. You should be more openminded to understand these things and realise that there are further compicated theories than "GOD"

[SuperMagnetizer]

IF the Universe is infinite and IF the Universe is expanding, then IF it is accelerating as it does so -- all of which I accept -- then the conservation of mass and energy is meaningless, is it not? New matter and energy could be continuously being created all the time (somehow), thereby keeping the Universe "full", right? Forget the Big Bang, it no longer makes any sense. And please don't bother me with dark matter & dark energy either.

[ultrakool]

dark energy? dark matter? really? it's amazing however ludicrous a concept may be, if it's couched in sufficiently "scienticfic" terminology, it will pass for feasibility. this is illogical nonsense. hypothetical entities? things that we have never observed, all passing for explanations of an exposion that should be coming to a halt instead of accelerating. it's time to shelf this outdated model

[BasqueGranBeats]

"It turns out there's lots of room at infinity" - my favortie quote haha

[foathkent]

this is totally stans dad out of southpark

[Guitarlots]

@blardosplats Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. But you gotta have something if you want to dance with me...or pay bills

[Guitarlots]

This guy is amazing, I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about, but it sounds fantastic. It makes me want to bake up huge., take the final and flunk out huge.

I am humongous ruler of the waste land. Give me the oil, the pumps, and the whole compound, and I'll spare your lives

[hyrenata]

I dont know whether to believe this, it is slightly out of date. WMAP seems to measure the universe background radiation fromt he big band and using light years we can approximate the size?

[blardosplats]

So then, the Universe is expanding into nothing?

Nothing must be something.

Is 'the Universe' expanding into 'the Universe'?

Then the Universe might be something finite, and what then is outside of the Universe?

Is there anyone that can show that the raisins in the bread are getting further apart, yet the bread remains the same size? Otherwise, that whole analogy makes no sense.

[theboombody]

Consider the infinite real number sets (0,1] and (0,2]. ANY real analysis book will tell you they have a 1 to 1 ratio so are essentially the same size, but they're also a 2 to 1 ratio as well. Just add 1 to each number in the first set. The books I've seen don't mention that for some reason. Maybe because it's too intutive, but I think it's still important to bring up. I'd say one is twice the size of the other because it has intuition to back it up as well. Intuition isn't negligible.