• Zephyr@sh.itjust.works
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    6 hours ago

    Current astrophysical data shows that the large-scale spatial geometry of our universe is flat, meaning parallel lines remain parallel and triangles add up to 180°. However, flatness does not strictly prove the universe is infinite; a flat, simply connected universe is mathematically infinite, but a flat, multiply connected universe (like a cylinder or a hyper-torus) could be finite.Observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background have measured this geometry with incredible precision, though slight margins for error still allow for the possibility that the universe curves on scales far larger than what we can observe.Whether the universe is finite or infinite remains an unresolved question in physics, though scientists generally use an infinite, flat model for standard cosmological calculations because it is mathematically simpler.

    • farngis_mcgiles@sh.itjust.works
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      6 hours ago

      this doesn’t have anything to do with your previous claim that there is an an atom to atom copy of earth elsewhere in the universe though. could the universe pe infinite? maybe. We can only see part of it and we can’t measure the total energy of the big bang to determine an answer at this time.

      • Zephyr@sh.itjust.works
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        6 hours ago

        Nothing? I’m not sure that’s true. If the universe is infinite and homogeneous then that would infer all finite permutations of energy occur, not once but infinitely many times. As for actually proving the universe is infinite? It’s not possible. We can only infer with measurements and physics which make accurate predictions we can measure. I mean not unless there’s like some cool way to traverse truly unheard of distances. Like if you could move 10^100 light years in a direction and it’s still the same even that wouldn’t prove it’s infinite but would really lend itself to the idea that it is.

        • bstix@feddit.dk
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          49 minutes ago

          If the universe is infinite and homogeneous then that would infer all finite permutations of energy occur, not once but infinitely many times.

          That’s a big if.

          Something can be infinite without having any 1:1 repetition of all or any finite parts. Depends on how homogenous it really is and at what scale. If there are infinite permutations within a finite area, then it won’t necessarily repeat ever. There’s currently no proof of whether the universe is discreet or continuous.

          • Zephyr@sh.itjust.works
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            31 minutes ago

            True, it’s a lot of assumptions either way one chooses. I just like the idea that everything that can be, is.

        • ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          6 hours ago

          That’s not inherently true, infinity can be bound

          There are an infinite amount of numbers between 2 and 3 but none of them are 5

          • Zephyr@sh.itjust.works
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            5 hours ago

            Reality as far as we know has a limited resolution aka the plank scale. It kinda makes sense. If an object like an atom required infinite information to encode it would collapse into a black hole.