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SergeantQueen's avatar

How can something be infinite but have no end?

Asked by SergeantQueen (13342points) 19 hours ago

3 theories about the shape of our universe

“The spherical universe is not infinite, but it has no end, in the same way that there is no point on the sphere that could be considered an end.” But what is beyond the sphere? How is it not infinite?

Citation (not formal): “Smithsonian Atlas of Space: A map to the universe from the big bang to the future” By Roger D. Launius. Page 12

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5 Answers

SergeantQueen's avatar

I phrased the question wrong

How can something NOT be infinite, but also have no end?

I cannot seem to flag on mobile, even with desktop mode. If someone would be so kind to do it, I would appreciate it :) I would like to edit this, the question makes no sense as is

Tropical_Willie's avatar

Consider it done.

Zaku's avatar

Depends on what one means by finite, and I don’t think Launius’ expression works well when trying to invoke a metaphor of a sphere without explaining what sort of transform would be implied. It’s almost designed to confuse and fail to explain what’s meant.

And really, it’s a theory developed from a limited perspective, since we can’t move a significant distance compared to the scale of the observable universe.

But as for the question of how can something not be infinite, but also have no end, again you’re slamming into a definition problem, because “finite” and “infinite” need specific definitions and context before what’s being said would be meaningful.

The notion though is maybe our universe “wraps around” reminiscent of what would happen if one were stuck on the surface of a sphere and unable to conceive of other dimensions, or what if one were stuck in an Atari 2600 computer game with the “wrap around” option turned on, so that when one leaves one side, one just appears on the other side, but there are no sides.

The suggestion isn’t that there IS a sphere, but that the universe behaves like a sphere in that one way, that moving in one direction will never get you out of the universe, and there is no center, so if you could ever move (or plot a line) through the entire universe, you’d just find yourself going through the same space again.

I tend to think it’s actually a conceptual dodge. rather than the truth.

Lightlyseared's avatar

Semantics. The universe is, by definition, all that exists therefore there is ne definite “edge” or point were it stops being the universe and starts being something else, while at the same time is of a measurable (albeit very large) size.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I was walking past some coworkers once, and heard one say to the other, “You know what will make you crazy trying to think about?”
At that moment I was alongside and I said “Infinity.”
The gal who had asked the question looked at me in surprise and said, “That’s right!”

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