Why we may never know if the universe is infinite
In short: A deep philosophical barrier exists within our cosmos: certain mysteries remain forever inaccessible, and we are just as sure that every single one of these secrets cannot be grasped. This fundamental limit shapes how cosmologists approach the deepest questions about our existence.
Cosmologist Joseph Silk highlights a core dilemma in human knowledge—the distinction between what is currently unknown and what is fundamentally unknowable. While this boundary exists, it has not prevented scientists, philosophers, and theologians from pushing toward the edges of space and time to find answers.
One of the most significant mysteries involves whether the universe is finite or infinite. Under current expanding universe theory, a 'flat' universe could expand forever, which aligns with our closest models. However, geometry allows for a different possibility: a universe can be spatially flat but still finite in volume. Silk illustrates this by comparing a plane (infinite) to a torus—a doughnut shape. A torus has a surface that is spatially flat, yet it occupies a limited, finite space.
This distinction matters because our current observations cannot definitively rule out either possibility. While the universe may have a massive volume today, it could remain finite even as it expands. Furthermore, Silk notes that while 'explosion' is often rejected by cosmologists due to its association with sound (a 'bang'), it remains a valid descriptor for an origin starting from a very small volume that increased rapidly.
Silk’s work also bridges the gap between these grand scales and observable reality. He has been a leading advocate for incorporating empirical knowledge of star formation into cosmogony, linking galaxy formation to fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background radiation and intergalactic clouds of atomic hydrogen.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Limits of our Knowledge - Joseph Silk
- Also: ESA Science & Technology - Joseph Silk, astronomer
- Also: royalsociety.org — Professor Joseph Silk FRS | Royal Society Fellow
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