[PatrickHenry]

This is 2 years old, but I can't find a prior thread on it.

[PatrickHenry]

PING. [This list is for the evolution side of evolution threads, and occasionally other science topics like cosmology. Long-time list members get all pings, but can be changed to evo-only status. New additions will be evo-only, but can request all pings. FReepmail me to be added or dropped. Specify all pings or you'll get evo-pings only.]

[syriacus]

What about entropy?

The tendency for all matter and energy in the universe   to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity.

[NYpeanut]

What the heck do hairdressers know about astrophysics anyway?

[samtheman]

Good news for Hindus.

[sirchtruth]

When are you evolutionist, delusionist EVER gonna get your stories straight?

[tom paine 2]

bump for later

[Aquinasfan]

ccording to a controversial new mathematical mode1.

Infinite series exist in mathematics and in the imagination, but they don't exist in actuality. An actual series must be finite. It cannot be infinite.

[Heatseeker]

According to the model, a fifth dimension that we can't see or travel through bridges the branes.

Well that much is provable - The Fifth Dimension hasn't toured together in years.

[Salman]

I heard of the 'oscillating universe' theory at least as far back as the 1970s. This "new" theory is just an old one dusted off. But then so was 'continental drift', so who can say?

[AlbionGirl]

Do ten dimensions exist? And if so, how were they discovered, and how is their existence proved? If these are dumb questions, you'll have to forgive me, as I'm not very educated in this subject.

[truthchaser]

Doesn't this just "string out" the real mystery... what was before matter, time, the frame of reference wherein we can even ponder infinity? Whether it is a big bang, an eternity of big bangs and big crunches, an observer being observed, a cycle of eternally colliding strings...

It's turtles all the way down!

[mrsmith]

Dear cosmologists,

In a million years what may man decide to do with the universe? Will he have a better idea for a universe and create it- again?

God only knows

[MainFrame65]

I'm putton my tinfoil hat on now. This is beginning to affect my 'brane....

[SamAdams76]

The idea of parallel universes as always fascinated me.

I have sometimes thought that there might be an infinite number of universes that contain every possibility that you can think of.

For example (and I realize I'm getting a bit silly here), there may be a universe which is an exact replica of ours except that all the fire hydrants are painted blue instead of read. And that is the only difference. That the fire hydrants are painted blue instead of red. And of course, the people in that universe are probably wondering why we paint fire hydrants red in our universe.

But I digress.

As well as there being an infinite number of parallel universes, an infinite amount of parallel universes continue to branch off from our universe (as well as every other) every single moment. For example, as I am typing this reply, I made a spelling error and I had to backspace to correct it. Well a parellel universe just broke off from this one in which I did not make that spelling error and thus I finished this reply three seconds earlier. Over the course of time, the entire fate of that universe was altered as a direct result of that spelling error! Think about it. In that (now parallel) universe in which I did not make that spelling error, I finished this reply three seconds earlier. As a result, the rest of my life was forever altered and through my interactions with others in that parallel universe, their lives were forever altered as well all because of that three second difference. As time in that parallel universe goes on, everything ends up changing more and more due to that one three-second difference in making this reply. At some point, some tragic auto accident was either prevented or caused as a result of those three seconds! And who knows what else.

I'm sure that everybody on this thread can remember a near miss (auto accident) in their lives. Now think about that near miss. You probably thought to yourself "had I left my driveway just a few seconds sooner (or later as the case may be), I would have been in that accident instead of just missing it."

Well that's what I'm talking about! That three seconds can make all the difference in the world. Now think about that near-miss auto crash again. Even though you missed it in this universe, you didn't miss it in some other parallel universe. In that universe, you happened to be killed in that crash. Aren't you glad you are living in this universe and not that one?

Thinking about parallel universes just boggles the mind. Imagine a parallel universe in which "Imagine" by John Lennon is our national anthem. Now you might be thinking, "that's crazy, how could that be?" Well I'll tell you how that could be. Let's imagine that we lost the Revolutionary War to the Brits and thus remained a collection of British colonies for 200 more years. Now let's imagine that around 1970, we finally get our revolutionizing act together and overthrow those darned Brits. Now due to lower taxes, John Lennon comes to America to live and we are so pleased with that decision that we make one of his songs our national anthem. In this case, "Imagine." Of course, there is another parallel universe in which John Lennon's "Mind Games" is our national anthem instead. And so on and so on.

It sure is strange contemplating all these parallel universes.

[The Louiswu]

I like the Gib Gnab theory myself

[Fiddlstix]

Bump
To read later

[hershey]

In those other universes I made better choices, won the lottery, gave away millions to those who deserved it, was wiser a lot sooner in life, wrote the great American novel, etc.. Somewhere out there are at least nine other me's doing great. Knowing this, I sleep better.

[Publius6961]

...it has been going through cycles of creation and annihilation for eternity, according to a controversial new mathematical model...

Mathematical model = GIGO

= Garbage In, Garbage Out...

[dennisw]

The Universe was not born in one Big Bang, it has been going through cycles of creation and annihilation for eternity, according to a controversial new mathematical model¹.

My intuition and religious leanings go with this newer explanation.

[AFPhys]

Cyclic universe theories are far older than 2 years. Such concepts were proposed shortly after the Big Bang theories first became in vogue as a "logical" explanation as to where the initial energy came from. This "brane" refinement is only the latest. There is no indication as to whether it can go any where. Recall that it took about 40 years before quantum mechanical and relativity concepts were able to have explanations physicists could really agree on. I know only that any of the mathematical contortions in the field are too complex for me to want to spend the time going through in an attempt to understand whether there is any hope of it being a valid theory. In time we'll know.

In the meanwhile, though, in the end the truth is, God made it happen.