The end of the universe – what’s there?

Sitting here browsing various blogs, something just popped into my head: what’s the end of the universe like? Does it even exist? Let’s say in theory, we had a spacecraft that could move fast enough and far enough to reach the ‘edge of the universe’. What would be there? A wall? A sign that says “dead end, turn back here”?

Hrm…

Comments 15

  1. LearningNerd wrote:

    Have you ever seen “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?” I think you’d like it. It’ll answer all your many questions about the universe, including this one! ;)

    But there probably isn’t an end to the universe. If space is true space, then space is nothingness, and nothingness is, well, nothing. And nothing can’t end, because it’s not there in the first place!

    But if there is an end to the universe (like a big brick wall), what’s beyond it? Another universe? And what’s beyond that one? Any way you look at it, there’s some sort of infinity — infinite space, infinite universes, or just an infinite number of questions that we’ll never be able to answer!

    Posted 18 Oct 2006 at 1:43 pm
  2. Josh wrote:

    LearningNerd: I’ve heard about the book (a lot), but I’ve never actually read it. It’s on my, you guessed it, ‘to read’ list.

    Yeah, I hadn’t really startled to tackle the “what’s beyond the brick wall at the end of the universe, if there’s a brick wall?” I was more wondering what the brick wall would *be* like. Solid? Liquid? A time wall, where time goes all screwy once you pass the point?

    I think you’re right; there’ll always be something (lots of somethings, actually) that we just can’t answer.

    Posted 18 Oct 2006 at 4:57 pm
  3. Jim Taylor wrote:

    I have contemplated this for a very long time. I have come to the conclusion that space is beyond any humans comprehension to cope or understand that space goes on forever, with no END.. For me this has no equal in my understanding of anything we equate to. How can there be no end to something?, We understand ends to everything here on earth. Right? Talking in terms of space, makes us so insignificant in our being on this speck of dust in space, that in the great scheme of things, we are less than atom of dust particle. I cannot adaquately discribe why we are where we are in space and time, its to overwhelming to me.

    Posted 25 May 2007 at 3:41 am
  4. kyle wrote:

    there is’nt an end to space but it isn’t a never ending nothingness I think that if you started from one part of the universe and went to the outer edge you would end up where you started.

    Posted 05 Sep 2007 at 3:35 pm
  5. howard wrote:

    i read a book about albert einstein and he did not believe in an infinite space and explain it in that space curves back on itself. traveling forever but never coming to an end, like for example the earth itself, you can go around and around all you want and would never come to an end meaning the world we live on does not have an infinite size but there would be no end if you kept walking forever.kyle i think you hit it right on the head.

    Posted 18 Sep 2007 at 4:52 pm
  6. jim h wrote:

    October 22, 2007 at 4:42 pm

    jim h
    Infinity is easy to understand, it is just that.

    What can never be understood but is fun to contemplate is all that exists in this endlessness.

    Nothing but pure empty space can be infinite. Think about it. if anything else were infinite it would fill all empty space and we know that is not true.

    Posted 10 Dec 2007 at 1:00 pm
  7. Josh wrote:

    Jim: Overwhelming is a good word for it. :)

    Kyle: Yeah, I’ve heard that before, but don’t particularly understand it.

    Howard: I think part of the problem is that I (and many others) picture the universe as a certain shape, which does not lend itself well to the idea of “space curving back on itself.”

    Jim: I know the technical definition of it, but that doesn’t make it any easier for me to take it all in.

    Technically speaking, if the universe is endless, and there’s “stuff” throughout it – dust, planets, stars – would it ever be possible to count all of the items? Or, since the stuff exists in a space that never ends, wouldn’t the number just keep going up?

    Posted 14 Dec 2007 at 9:11 am
  8. G.Kelly Moran wrote:

    I believe that “God” is the “Big Bang” and our existence is for ifinity and we will sense it in some peaceful manner..

    Posted 12 Apr 2008 at 3:16 pm
  9. Josh wrote:

    G. Kelly: I’m not really sure what you mean about “sensing it in some peaceful manner.”

    Posted 13 Apr 2008 at 6:05 pm
  10. thinker wrote:

    i believe thats the universe is not infinite. there is no such thing as infinite in any part of the universe.even number are not infinite becuase no matter how small and many times u write it you are limited by the size of the universe. the universe is however expanding into nothingness. it will keep expanding into the black nothingingess.if this is true then the 4th dimension(time) is beyond our universe. ex.there had to be a time where the singulatiry occupied the nothingness of space.when the big bang occured this matter was shot into the dark void of space and till this day is expanding at a accelerating rate.but there is however a limit to this void. if there is not we might as well claim it as magic and throw away science

    Posted 15 May 2008 at 7:58 pm
  11. enty wrote:

    mmm… but they way i look at it is that, if there is an “end” then whats beyond that?

    say the room your in now is the whole universe and space… and the walls are the end.. whats beyond the walls.. even if its a “wall” then how far does it go?

    it is baffling to me…

    Posted 01 Jun 2008 at 8:01 pm
  12. Michael wrote:

    The universe has a limited amount of space but without walls. Say, if you go with a space ship to the supposed end, you will end up to the same point of departure like if you go from any point from earth to anywere in a straight line you will end up to the departure point. In that case the earth surface is a 2 dimension plane on top of a 3 dimenson support.
    The universe space is a 3 dimension plane on top of a 4 dimension support. That will explain why the universe expansion is speeding up in state of slowing down. All the galaxys that have pass the 4 dimension equator will be atractted buy the other end. And at the end everything will meet ones again in a single point ready for another Big bang.

    Posted 09 Dec 2008 at 2:08 am
  13. Logan wrote:

    i agree it always blows my mind but i was thinking and i think tht there was a singularity and the universe expanded out from that point and is stil expanding and eventually will stretch to far and it will implode on itself and start over from the beginning. Also I think the universe has an “end” but i dont think even if we could go faster than the universe is expanding that you would know when you got there because it would just be black i know this because the adsense of color is black it absorbs light so you would just go into dark and it would seem just like space. Also I believe that the end of the universe would be like a black hole in some ways because when something goes into a black hole you couldnt see it from the outside if you were in the blackhole you can see out so i think the end of the universe would be similar to that.

    Posted 17 Dec 2008 at 9:35 am
  14. Wonderer wrote:

    Well, in theory if you think about it. Space is something, everything is something or we would not have named it. I am anxious to know whether or not there is an end, but i am sure we will never know until into the far future.

    Posted 12 Feb 2009 at 1:36 pm
  15. Mike Litoris wrote:

    there is nothing because it does not exist yet.
    time does not exist on the other side of the “edge” of the universe.

    same thing goes for big bang. people ask “what caused it?”
    nothing. the universe has always existed and it did have a beginning.
    see, time began at the same time as the big bang happened.
    so the universe has been here all the time. literally.

    the universe is all there is. there is no other side
    untill the universe expands to that “point” and time begings
    at that “point” then that point exists.

    thadaa

    Posted 30 Mar 2009 at 5:14 am

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *