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The Universe Is Disappearing, And There's Nothing We Can Do To Stop It
Forbes ^ | August 17, 2018 | Ethan Siegel

Posted on 08/18/2018 8:10:32 PM PDT by EdnaMode

It's been nearly a century since scientists first theorized that the Universe was expanding, and that the farther away a galaxy was from us, the faster it appears to recede. This isn't because galaxies are physically moving away from us, but rather because the Universe is full of gravitationally-bound objects, and the fabric of space that those objects reside in is expanding.

But this picture, which held sway from the 1920s onward, has been recently revised. It's been only 20 years since we first realized that this expansion was speeding up, and that as time goes on, individual galaxies will appear to recede away from us faster and faster. In time, they'll become unreachable, even if we journeyed towards them at the speed of light. The Universe is disappearing, and there's nothing we can do about it.

When you look out at a star whose light arrives after traveling towards you for 100 years, you're seeing a star that's 100 light years away, due to the fact that the speed of light is finite. But when you look out at a galaxy whose light arrives after traveling towards you for a journey of 100 million years, you're not looking at a galaxy that's 100 million light years distant. Rather, you're seeing a galaxy that's significantly farther away than that!

(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Chit/Chat; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; catastrophism; creationism; crevo; doomed; edwinhubble; haltonarp; hubbleconstant; langoliers; ohnoes; runforthehills; science; space; stringtheory; teotwawki; theuniverse; universe; wereallgonnadie; xraytelescopy; yikes
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To: RightGeek
It was the Langoliers!


81 posted on 08/19/2018 6:04:44 AM PDT by Dutch Boy
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To: EdnaMode

Our whole existence and concept of the universe is just a dream a drunk alien is having in another reality.


82 posted on 08/19/2018 6:23:23 AM PDT by jetson (TOTAL)
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To: jetson

A Shot of Jack Daniel’s,

Please Bartender!


83 posted on 08/19/2018 6:43:04 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (UNSCANABLE in an IDIOCRACY)
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To: UCANSEE2
Is the Universe round or square ?

I'm thinking flat.

84 posted on 08/19/2018 6:50:54 AM PDT by super7man (Madam Defarge, knitting, knitting, always knitting)
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To: Big Red Badger

In theory you could travel near the speed of light into the far future, then sit in Douglas Adams’ Restaurant at the End of the Universe and watch it all go foom while drinking champagne. The Universe will end not in the cold desolate heat-death of thermodynamics and utter darkness as the last star burns out. Instead it will be a beautifully spectacular ending, one that we can actually watch. Isn’t God’s plan great?


85 posted on 08/19/2018 6:55:33 AM PDT by Gideon7
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To: Gideon7

Champagne?

For me, Pangalactic gargle blasters are the only truly suitable drink for watching


86 posted on 08/19/2018 6:58:09 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12) Sanctuary is Sedition)
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To: Gideon7

I’ll be drinking a Pepsi
At Micky D’s.


87 posted on 08/19/2018 7:05:54 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (UNSCANABLE in an IDIOCRACY)
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To: jmacusa

Good question. It is. It is expanding into the unknown parts, but the absence seals not in stopping the expansion but in defining — defining that there is a part outside the expanding universe that the universe expands into.


88 posted on 08/19/2018 7:22:29 AM PDT by BEJ
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To: jetson

Haha!


89 posted on 08/19/2018 7:40:55 AM PDT by EdnaMode
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To: Deplorable American1776

LOL, they certainly would. :D


90 posted on 08/19/2018 7:41:17 AM PDT by EdnaMode
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To: UCANSEE2

Physicists Calculate Number of Parallel Universes
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2365019/posts

How Big is the Entire Universe?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2908948/posts


91 posted on 08/19/2018 8:30:10 AM PDT by familyop ("Welcome to Costco. I love you." - -Costco greeter in the movie, "Idiocracy")
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To: EdnaMode

The Universe Is Disappearing, And There’s Nothing We Can Do To Stop It

Just curious. The “Big Bang” something blew up. The if so there is another side opposite to us going the other way isn’t there?


92 posted on 08/19/2018 8:34:38 AM PDT by JayAr36 (Washinton DC, District of Corruption proven daily)
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To: EdnaMode

An inquiring mind wants to know- what is beyond the edge of the “fabric” of the universe?


93 posted on 08/19/2018 8:55:59 AM PDT by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret), "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War")
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To: chris37

WHEN He comes in the air, the dead in Christ rise first, then we who remain are caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. You could be there too ...


94 posted on 08/19/2018 11:14:46 AM PDT by MHGinTN (A dispensational perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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To: EdnaMode
The Universe Is Disappearing, And There's Nothing We Can Do To Stop It

We cannot cure the common cold, nor can we do anything to adjust the wind... and they want us to do something about the entire universe's motion??

95 posted on 08/19/2018 11:18:04 AM PDT by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: Larry Lucido
Someday, since everything is speeding apart, can we leave the house for errand and not be able to get back?... The Universe has Alzheimer's!
96 posted on 08/19/2018 11:33:38 AM PDT by MHGinTN (A dispensational perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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To: Arlis

You’ll find it after washing the overalls you wore the day you took them off with the key in the pocket.


97 posted on 08/19/2018 11:37:07 AM PDT by MHGinTN (A dispensational perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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To: stormhill
Thanks but when something, in this case an objection to a research conclusion being touted as weird and inexplicable by every astronomer around, seems so obvious I must conclude that I'm probably missing something.

It's my suspicion that the people who report on such things, mouth breathing journos mostly, aren't capable of understanding and explaining the science. They just in effect say "Astronomers tell us that when they look at distant stars they have concluded the expansion of the universe is accelerating over time" and then with their limited understanding of Physics, Stellar Distances, Light Speed, etc. somehow think the conclusion is based on those very distant stars moving faster than nearby ones. So the conclusion is mind boggling but the explanation for what led to it doesn't really make much sense.

If I was still in college I'd be able to knock on the door of the professor who conducted my Astronomy class (held, by the way, in the Planetarium of The OSU where on occasion he could just say "Let's turn down the lights and I'll show you" ... very friggin' cool!) and ask him for an explanation. But that's not an option anymore :-(

98 posted on 08/19/2018 11:38:02 AM PDT by katana (We're all part of a long episode of "The Terrific Mr. Trump")
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To: norwaypinesavage

How do you feel about zero point energy?


99 posted on 08/19/2018 11:38:18 AM PDT by MHGinTN (A dispensational perspective is a powerful tool for discernment)
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To: PIF
... And it will look something .. like .. this:


100 posted on 08/19/2018 11:45:22 AM PDT by katana (We're all part of a long episode of "The Terrific Mr. Trump")
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