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To: All
From the article:
"In a bouncing universe, all the matter currently flying apart slows until it reverses and falls towards a Big Crunch. Some physicists think this could ignite another Big Bang, in an unending sequence of expansion and contraction."

I wish Physicist would show up. My understanding regarding various theories of so-called "Oscillating Universes" is that they're supposed to undergo an entropy increase each time they bounce, so it can't be an eternal cycle. (I have my doubts about that.) Also, we recently had a thread called Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation's Polarization Detected at Last, which -- again, assuming my limited understanding is right -- puts to rest the new "crashing brane" theory of oscillating universes, proposed by Steinhardt and Turok. Polarization, so I'm told, wouldn't be a feature of the Steinhardt-Turok universe. If so, the scenario of a crunch, followed by another bang, is in deep doo-doo. But it's still early days.

19 posted on 12/22/2002 6:52:07 PM PST by PatrickHenry
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To: PatrickHenry
I wish Physicist would show up. My understanding regarding various theories of so-called "Oscillating Universes" is that they're supposed to undergo an entropy increase each time they bounce, so it can't be an eternal cycle. (I have my doubts about that.)

So do I, because like you, I have my doubts that entropy continues to increase with each bounce.

23 posted on 12/22/2002 6:57:23 PM PST by Scully
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To: PatrickHenry; Physicist; ThinkPlease; RadioAstronomer
.... puts to rest the new "crashing brane" theory of oscillating universes, proposed by Steinhardt and Turok.

If their oscillating Universe is based on the "Ekpyrotic Model," you are correct. Polarization is predicted by the BB theory (Inflationary variant, I believe); the Ekpyrotic Model apparently says there should be NO polarization of the CMB. Therefore, the recently observed polarization gives further support to the BB model, while casting the Ekpyrotic model into the darkness....

31 posted on 12/22/2002 7:04:14 PM PST by longshadow
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