Big Bang

[Clanad]

Assume for the moment that the "Big Bang Theory" of the beginning of the universe is true. What is the nature of that which the universe is continuing to expand into and does it exist before the event horizon?

[Clanad]

Thanks for the try, ansteyg. However (always the dreaded "however"), measurements of the red shift indicate the continuing expansion of the universe. The universe is composed of material that conforms to laas of physics, i.e., width, breadth, speed, etc. Therefore, it would appear that the expansion must expand "into" something that must have room for it. What is the nature of the "room" for expansion. Does it exist before the expansion reaches it or does it come into existence at he moment the event horizon occurs? The example often given to conceptualize the expansion is that of a balloon beign inflated. However, the balloon does inflate "into" an area. In its case we know the area, in the case of the universe, the area is not known... at least not for now. To much spare time on our hands, probably... besides it's raining today!

[bernardo]

The universe is the three-dimensional surface of a four-dimensional hypersphere, so it is expanding into four-dimensional space in the same way that the two-dimensional surface of a balloon is expanding into the three-dimensional space which we inhabit. (Actually there are eleven dimensions, but the others are too small to be significant at a large scale).

[medico]

My head hurts. Can we try something a bit simpler next time. Fascinating question though!

[jonniekash]

If you JUST HAPPENED I suppose you can believe the big bang theory, but then again we all are here becuse somebody got banged, didn't they, but to bang takes two, the banger and the banged and most often that creates another bang or banger.

[dr.pepper]

it does take two to bang. unless you're put together in a test tube. but still, at a certain point, your life just began. The cells joined and grew, but 'life'. That just started.