The universe is finite

If the universe were infinite then my father could be my mother and my mother could be an orangutan and I can be yellow with pink spots and yet have no mass.

Yet - I see order around me - I can comprehend things and determine what they are almost certain to do. Therefore if I am aware of being aware that I can determine what will happen and there is some logic and therefore not complete randomness. I cannot prove that this logic is not just an aspect of infinity but I sense that it isn't.

Suppose for a moment, that the act of observation - perception creates or causes order. All things not observable are subject to higher probabilities of chaos. As our view and scope of the universe increases, so does the potential for stability and order. Now suppose that Earth does not contain the only perceivers of the universe.

Perhaps the universe is infinite, but all that is being perceived is within a bubble of order. Beyond our perceptions lies complete chaos.

yep - completely right and I've contemplated precisely that. However - I still don't feel that it is real. But then no-one know either way - I think!

As I'm currently finishing up an Astronomy course, I'd like to share some of the current known information about the universe for this topic. Hopefully it will provide a basis for further discussion.

x We can only "see" about 14 billion light-years in every direction from the Earth to the cosmic light horizon (or in other words, anything that might exist beyond this horizon we can't see because the light from it hasn't reached us yet)

x The universe is expanding at an increasing speed, meaning galaxies are moving further apart faster, and it looks like it will expand forever.

x In the Big Bang theory, there was no "before the universe," because time didn't exist - nothing existed except for something called a cosmic singularity.

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x We can only "see" about 14 billion light-years in every direction from the Earth to the cosmic light horizon (or in other words, anything that might exist beyond this horizon we can't see because the light from it hasn't reached us yet)

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That's interesting noktourn. To add some for you:

Light is an electromagnetic wave. Being an electromagnetic wave it travels at 3 x 10^8 m/s in vaccum. Therefore there are measurable limits to speeds in set conditions. Unlike sound waves, light travels slower in dense material. Accordingly the fastest known speed is the speed of light - but more interesting thatn that is the fact that if you travel at 1% speed of light or 99% speed of light the speed of a travelling beam of light you observe (say from a light bulb) will still appear the same speed to you.

What this lends to me - at least based upon current knowledge! - is that there are measurable limits to the universe.

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x In the Big Bang theory, there was no "before the universe," because time didn't exist - nothing existed except for something called a cosmic singularity.

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Time and the cosmic singularity - its impressive you're learning this at 17. The question is what did exist before? And does you idea of time suggest that:

time (1) = before
time (2) = now
time (3) = after

that "=" sign is the key factor here. Think it some. Could the universe be ALWAYS expanding and retracting into one signularity? Is this an ordered expanison and retraction and thus are we constantly repeating history (and/or is the future constantly determiningthe past?) or is this universe here now unique?

In terms of my initial post I think that because we can observe order in our universe then this serves us best. We have had our good deal of disorder with witchcraft etc., but this hasn't stood the test of time!

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if you travel at 1% speed of light or 99% speed of light the speed of a travelling beam of light you observe (say from a light bulb) will still appear the same speed to you.

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this doesnt have anything to do with the finiteness of the infiniteness of the universe. this is because this is a visual perception. just because it looks one way, doesn't mean its proven. especially with a topic such as this. consider the quantum view on all of this.

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this doesnt have anything to do with the finiteness of the infiniteness of the universe

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I assume you meant to use the word 'or' instead of 'of'?

speed of light and perception - Nothing is proven fact. However - what the post does say is that based upon what we know best, there are limits to universal aspects and therefore part at least is mesaurable, quantifiable and repeatable.

I understand that quantum physics may show what appears to be materialistic disorder. But I see no sense in throwing up your hands and claiming some mystical fascination in this. To be practical, we look for order in things (pluarility + ingenuity) and then start to deduce. We don't just surrender the moment.

Its a gut feeling that the whole universe could be understood. Its seems senseless to think otherwise - although perhaps we may never reveal the answer to - why?

yeah excuse me.