You've lost me there - speed=distance over time

@GothRik "TIME" is the factor , as Stephen Hawking tried to explain in his book of a similar name, ......extend time, and you can extend the universe. time has no meaning without entropy. and vis versa

@magicwatch Sorry, still lost. Time is one dimension it cannot have mass, speed is the combination of dimensions, so time cannot travel faster than light, since it does not 'travel'. I understand (at least I think I do) the concept of time being relative etc..

@GothRik Time is one of the four physical dimensions in the mathematics of quaternions (which our universe seems to deposited in). Many of the "theories of everything" believe our universe rests in more than 4 dimensions. I've heard that there are mathematical theorems that say that all noncommutative division rings (such as the quaternion ring) can only exist in powers of 2, and the highest order of these can only be 16 (which has subsequently been identified), Thus, I believe that if the universe is to be non-arbitrary, it has to exist in 16 dimensions.

One of the great drivers of Einstein was to not accept the arbitrary equality of G in the then-current theories of acceleration and gravity. He therefore linked the two in General Relativity. I believe he was also skeptical of the relationship between magnetic and electric forces, and thus now there is only one force (electro-magnetic). The universe is not arbitrary. When it appears that it is, there's something going on that hasn't been identified yet.

even Einstein had a problem with Quantum mechanics, perhaps there is someone on this website that can come up with the ultimate equation, i.e." the theory of everything"

@magicwatch yes, such an answer would make so many things easier to understand.

@magicwatch The answer to Einstein's angst is the Many Worlds Theory. It puts determinism back into the equation. I think I believe it is true, and is my scapegoat belief of why there is a universe at all.

There are global effects and local effects. We still have meteors colliding with the Earth even though the universe is expanding. I believe Andromeda is going to collide with the Milky Way before our sun dies, and the Earth will be bombarded with life-destroying radiation before we get swallowed up by the sun. Still, it's not the time to build your bunker.

I know how you feel, it would have gone over the top of my head a few years ago (lots of it still does). Curiosity got the better part of me and I chipped away at it. I would read up, google, youtube a bit at a time. It's still mystifying, but, more fascinating as I go.
"If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics."-Richard Feynman

It looks like the universe will always be here, but why has it always been here? What came before the Big Bang? If it's a cycle, shouldn't our universe be headed toward a Big Implosion, only to be followed by another Big Bang? But again, what started this cycle in the first place? Why should there be this cycle?

Perplexing questions. I sure wish I had answers or even beliefs.

@GlyndonD yes the Universe has always been here - and will always be here - no beginning, there will be no end. Space is infinite - the Big Band just describes an event that took place 14 billion years ago, in our little part of the universe - which is just a natural part of the life cycle of galaxies.

@gater I see no supporting evidence for your statement. So, for my purposes, I can't think nor even believe it's true (or false). Congrats on your belief -- I envy you.

@GlyndonD There is no supporting evidence - astrophysicists only study what they can observe. The Universe is infinite, we know this because space continues forever, by definition it can not physically stop at any point. And its always been that way, infinite space, there was no beginning to the Universe - This is all true.

@gater No, it's not. Space is curved. Mass/gravity bends space back on itself. The "volume" of space is finite, but is growing. Only your imagined x-y-z coordinate system axes goes on straight and into infinity. This is supported by scientific observation and predicted by General Relativity. It's real. Black holes are real.

@GlyndonD Sorry but you are wrong - space doesn't have a shape. Space is infinite and is unaffected by gravity - Black holes still occupy space. Think of space as a 3d canvas that extends forever. Matter is effected by gravity - not space.

@gater Oops -- didn't realize you were a flat-earther. My bad! Again, congrats on obtaining a belief system that answers all your questions. Must be nice.

@GlyndonD A flat earther? I do have all the answers - its not that - Infinite space that had no beginning. If you understand physics and logic you will come to the same conclusion.

@gater I have degrees in math and physics, and all theories and evidence I'm aware of says the universe is not infinite. Just after the Big Bang, it was very small. So, I'm going to go with them rather than your theories, OK?

@GlyndonD Well your theories are wrong - There is no logical way to argue that space ends at any point. - I thought you were looking for answers - I gave them to you - if you want to believe them or not is up to you. I really don't care what you believe - I know im right.

@gater Thanks. But Father Steve told me he was right, too. He had a book called the Bible that said the world was 6500 yeara old. He swore he was right, and I needed to believe him. I turned him down, too. No, years of knowledge and learning leada me to believe General Relativity is indeed true. I'm going with Einstein and his buddies, and not you.

No hard feelings?

@GlyndonD yeah, that's fine - im going with Aristotle. The funny thing is - its really so simple when you consider there is no other true option than infinite space, regardless of what occupies that space - its a basic reality that should be taught in the 1st grade.

@gater Yes, we can finally agree on something: You are being simplistic. Carry on!

@GlyndonD Infinite space is a simple reality - some are not capable of comprehending this simple concept.

@gater Yes, inconsistency is impossible to hold in one's thoughts, IMHO.

@GlyndonD good luck to you and your journey to understanding

@gater I prefer to depend on skill, reason, and kmowledge rather than luck, but thanks anyway.

The way I look at it is this, There should not be anything at all, but contrary to my logic, there is a universe, that's what niggles me

@GothRik You and many others.

I accept that quantum mechanics has delivered the the existing universe from the Big Bang, but I'm still unfulfilled about why or how it happened in the first place. (No, not because of a god.)

I haven't seen these lectures yet ( I'm still going through his astronomy series), but, I'm sure it will be great.

[ilectureonline.com]

Talk about nothing

Throw time in to the argument and it starts getting silly.

@GothRik That's my point. It's silly when people let words that make no sense trick them into believing they do.

Yes, I've always said during any theological discussion "What kind of god (God) are you talking about -- providential, deist, etc." Even though they claim to be monotheist (even trinityists), they cannot come up with one definition. Therefore, they should not be referring to "God", but maybe "the only god". I've argued before that agnostics/atheists should not use or even acknowledge the word "God" for it implies the existence of monotheism versus polytheism, and that "God" exists but you're only going to deny its existence. Don't play on their playing field.

By the way, can your God create another equal God? Why or why not?

This is kind of an age-old argument, first answered "I think, therefore I am." But it assumes a dependence of the logical (thought) on the physical (the universe). Physics borrows from mathematics (the three fundamental forces, statistics, etc.), but mathematicians believe their mathematics is independent of any universe. Yes, you have to have a physical brain to think of mathematics and reason, but it's more accepted that the logic and reason is "out there", only to be discovered and recognzied by the human brain and mind.