A question on Dark Energy

Jikanu · 05-28-2009, 12:49 AM

Ok, so in science class we recently learned about dark energy, and how the universe is expanding, and all that. But that brings up a few questions for me, and if anyone here could please help answer them for me, then it would be greatly appreciated.

1. If the universe is sort of defined as the container of everything in this dimension, how can it expand? i mean, the universe is more of a concept than acctual matter, right? so... isnt it like adding one to infinity?

2. What is it expanding into?

**Belaslav** · 05-28-2009, 01:17 AM

Asking those is like asking the meaning of life there buddy. Can't help you.

Jikanu · 05-28-2009, 01:53 AM

Ah. i see. Oh well x.x

**Hraesvelg** · 05-28-2009, 02:14 AM

This should push you in the right direction:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_expansion_of_space

Jikanu · 05-28-2009, 02:30 AM

It's more the concept i dont get... Idk, perhaps i'm simply asking stupid questions which no one knows the answers to...

And hrae, i sincerely doubt i'll be able to understand anything in that wikipedia article. I'm not good with scientific terms. I couldnt understand an article on the Kuiper Belt on that site x.x

/pathetic.

**Hraesvelg** · 05-28-2009, 02:37 AM

This is going to sound blunt, but I don't know how else to phrase it. Just because you can't understand the answer doesn't mean there isn't one. Please, study the matter in detail. Call your local university, you might can find a professor with a moment to spare to help you suss out some of your questions. Hopefully you'll find a good one, but if you're dismissed don't be discouraged. A lot of the stuff takes years to understand. It's hard to be a layman astrophysicist, trust me. I know.

Jikanu · 05-28-2009, 03:07 AM

i dont wanna be an astrophysicist, really... i mean, it's an interesting topic, and i'd like to hear about new concepts, but i dont know if i'll ever want to research it deeply... idk, it just makes zero sense if you like at it logically... i mean, and please correct me if im wrong, but isnt the universe supposedly infinite, or at least everything that's there? and if dark energy exists, wouldnt it be infinity plus one, which is in itself a paradox? *sigh* idk, i suppose the answers are still yet to come...

**Hraesvelg** · 05-28-2009, 03:17 AM

There are competing theories on if the universe is infinite or not. We're on a small mudball traveling around a backwater star using optical telescopes. Probing the far depths of the universe to a major degree of certainty is a bit out of our grasp.

**Belaslav** · 05-28-2009, 03:25 AM

I once heard this wise saying:

Originally Posted by Wise Guy

There are two things known to mankind that are infinite: the universe and human stupidity. Not so sure about the universe, though.

**Hessah** · 05-28-2009, 03:27 AM

I believe different astrophysicist have different interpretation of what the "universe" is.. some says there's boundaries... some says there isnt... some says it's related to dimension.. some says it's related to something else...

As you said, there's no definite answer...

I see it as something that people do research about.. find "evidence" that suggest something... and built a theory based on those evidence and analysis...

Until someone find a line and said "OMG look RIGHT HERE OBVIOUSLY is a line where the universe ends" I don't think you'll get the proper answer that you want...

I'd say it's open to interpretation... and how much you want to believe that something is valid...

Not 100% of these research and stuff hold total truth....