Anyone want to talk space with me? (Specifically the edge of space).

[Mrs-M]

I just watched the most fascinating two hour special (Nova) the other evening on our Milky Way Galaxy and universe. Unbelievable.

Up until I watched the program I had reservations about there actually being infinity space out there with no end, but I believe it now. Space goes on forever, and ever, and ever. No walls, no end. Does anyone else find that hard to comprehend?

[Rosemary]

I actually find it harder to think about there being an end, than about space being infinite!

[Mrs-M]

Hi Rosemary. "Infinite space versus space with an end" has always been a brain-cruncher for me. In my mind I think- "everything has an end and space had to start from somewhere, so surely it has a final point too". My oldest son is an astronomy and science nerd so that's why this interests me so much, he and I have talks about it all the time. I thought it would be fun to hear other members beliefs on this. Maybe it's the vastness of space I struggle with. So hard to comprehend it's size.

[Float On]

"everything has an end and space had to start from somewhere, so surely it has a final point too".

My answer to that question was always another question...."But what's on the other side????"

[Mrs-M]

My thoughts exactly Float On. It's all so spooky. If you haven't seen the special and it ever comes on again try and watch it (if you enjoy programs like it).

I also cannot wrap my head around the travel time and speed needed to get to many planets. In fact when I think about it I can't help but think that there must be (got to be) a hidden way of travel that the universe naturally provides that we haven't uncovered yet.

[Bill]

I've just always believed space was infinite, perhaps from science classes? What I find unbelievable is that in the infinite vastness of space there is only intelligent life on this one little blue planet. That does not compute!

[Mrs-M]

Hi Bill. I totally agree with you about other lifeforms throughout. After watching the special I was talking about it made me even more of a believer in extraterrestrial/alien life. The dark vastness sends shivers up and down my spine and provides me with a spooky feeling. The unknown.

[Mighty Frugal]

I remember reading a book by a theoretical astrophysicist-or something like that and he said that space is not infinite. That if it were so then the amount of stars out there would shine more brightly than they do and for some other reason that my feeble mind struggles to recall. He said that the universe is still 'creating' space. As in, it is still expanding. As it expands, it is getting larger. There is the theory that once it has reached the height of expansion it will retract and everything will be crunched up again into the tiny mass that began the big bang....great book, forget the author (see sentence above about my feeble brain) but the book is titled 'The Last 5 Minutes' kept me up to the wee hours of the morning and I had two wee babies at the time..zzz..but my love for cosmology and astronomy always won!

Who wants to talk about the string theory? Please dumb it down for me though as I cannot wrap my head around it but am so intrigued by it

[Mrs-M]

I also have a deep down love for and attraction to cosmology and astronomy Mighty Frugal. I wish I could talk string theory with you but even dumbing it down as far as it can get down is still way over my head. But you can bet I'll be right here reading all posts about it and if by chance I can offer something up in the way of significance or interest, I most definitely will.

Regarding the expansion and retraction and gravitational understanding theories as science presently knows them, it was mentioned on the Nova special that quite possibly gravity (if and when science and technology advances to the point of further understanding it's qualities and rules of physics), may blow everything scientists currently know about it right out of the universe. It's as if the book on gravity will be in a sense, rewritten. Everything we thought we knew about gravity- we didn't...