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Name: Chad
Status: other
Grade: other
Location: NV
Country: N/A
Date: 1/25/2006
Question:
I hear reference to the end of the universe or the other side of the universe. Is there actually an end or other side? If so, how does anyone know this.

Replies:
One gets into a bit of "definition of terms" here. It is difficult to see any justification for "the other side" of the Universe, because that would be part of the Universe too. The best current theory based on background microwave radiation puts the age of the Universe at some 13.6 billion years or so. Multiplying by the speed of light (and assuming that it remains constant) that sets an event horizon beyond which we cannot presently "see", so the Universe may be larger than that, but we have no way of knowing. The current state of cosmology is very speculative -- a lot of possibilities based on relative sparse data -- so the jury is still in session on a lot of these issues.

Vince Calder


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