foundaplanet Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Ever since I saw the fairly recent picture of the universe with the Dark Matter factored in and connecting the galaxies, I thought it looked a lot like a brain.What if all of us here on Earth were just part of the brain of a humongous being.What if our existence was just the physical manifestation of an idea, or an emotion, of this giant being.(And if so, what would that idea or emotion be? Love, or anger? The recipe for Coq-au-Vin, the cure for cancer, or "gee I need to scratch my butt"?)That for the moment, is what I feel when I think of the universe.Very nicely put..a rolling stone.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollypenrice Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 (edited) Sadly I accept that I can't imagine it in the way I can imagine local things. I have to work with words and analogies.Beware of all the big bang graphics on the telly. They are totally misleading, showing explosions from the outside. The 'book answers' disallowed by the OP are, however, efforts of imagination in their way and are very worthy. But can I visualize the universe? Alas no, only a bit of it at any one time.Olly Edited July 1, 2011 by ollypenrice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lw24 Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I'm not really sure, I think I imagine the universe as being, BIG, with a few galaxies dotted around (every now and then! ).Other than that, I don't really know what else there is to imagine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollypenrice Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 I'm not really sure, I think I imagine the universe as being, BIG, with a few galaxies dotted around (every now and then! ).Other than that, I don't really know what else there is to imagine?Well, the geometry of the thing, for example. Cosmologists talk of open, flat or closed models. Can you imagine these? I can't, but I can grasp the idea.Olly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lw24 Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Well, I imagine it as a sphere that's constantly expanding, if that's what you mean by geometry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundaplanet Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Beware of all the big bang graphics on the telly. They are totally misleading, showing explosions from the outside. OllyA very good point as it would be impossible to witness from the outside.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astropete Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 my answer?.......an expanding disc, expanding into relative time and space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Used to think the "edge" of the Universe was a big ol' brick wall governed by flying? monsters - like a dragon I suppose..O.K I was young then but now (and this will get you thinking) IF there is an edge and you was at it (theoretically travelling at the same speed of expansion), what happens when you take a step further, does it get a little bigger? What happens when you shine a beam of light?!?I watched a bit of Through the wormhole recently, good for ideas I suppose.. new theory suggest we have a neighbour next to our "balloon" Universe. A cold spot shown in the Cosmic microwave background data is drawing/ has effect on the galaxies close by..Other than that I tend to stick with unthinkably huge and old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karlos Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I like to think we are like Ants, very very small and struggling to make sense of these HUGE things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macavity Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 (edited) I was doing fairly OK, until I came across... (string?) duality. The idea that the universe may be either very large and expanding or very small and contracting, depending on measurement method? "R" or "1/R"? Yet somehow we still manage to FIT into it (them) and the laws of physics are the same... I think! I take consolation that some folks can WORK with such ideas. I sense it's a (Feynman?) truism that rather few folks completely understand the first 20 pages of a typical "modern physics" text? <G> Not entirely convinced tho' - There are some SERIOUSLY bright sorts around in (theoretical) physics and astronomy... Edited July 4, 2011 by Macavity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollypenrice Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 my answer?.......an expanding disc, expanding into relative time and space.No, but the disc IS time and space. It isn't expanding into anything. If there were anything for it to expand into, that something woud be part of the universe.In the BB theory all that there is is expanding.Olly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meteoriot Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 (edited) This may not be exactly scientifically accurate but here are my simplified thoughtsQuarks make up subatomic particles which make up atoms which makes up matter which makes up planets/asteroids etc which makes up solar systems which makes up galaxies which makes up the cosmic web which makes up the universe to the point where it's too big for us to see further. Why should it stop there? The universe in my imagination is just a tiny part of something much bigger. I imagine it to be spherical like all the smaller things that make it up. If I was an observer big enough, then the universe is just like a particle popping into existence before disappearing again (as they do on our scale) Time and scale would have to be in the eye of the beholder rather and I hope that makes sense to at least one person as i struggle to express my imagination most of the time.Richard Edited July 9, 2011 by meteoriot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redgiantjohn Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Earth is roughly 470,300,000,000,000,000 miles away from the edge of our galaxy,if we times that number by 100,000,000,000 (the number of the known galaxies in the univesre) then add in the distance of all the empty space in between the galaxies..then your brain will melt we can't possible comprehend the vastness of it all.We are the equivelent of a vibrating string on a sub quark level sat in the middle of a planet thinking about the size of it is just impossible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meteoriot Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Earth is roughly 470,300,000,000,000,000 miles away from the edge of our galaxy,if we times that number by 100,000,000,000 (the number of the known galaxies in the univesre) then add in the distance of all the empty space in between the galaxies..then your brain will melt we can't possible comprehend the vastness of it all.We are the equivelent of a vibrating string on a sub quark level sat in the middle of a planet thinking about the size of it is just impossibleIs it big? Or are we just small? Or both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meteoriot Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Ever since I saw the fairly recent picture of the universe with the Dark Matter factored in and connecting the galaxies, I thought it looked a lot like thr neural network of a brain.What if all of us here on Earth were just part of the brain of a humongous being.What if our existence was just the physical manifestation of an idea, or an emotion, of this giant being.(And if so, what would that idea or emotion be? Love, or anger? The recipe for Coq-au-Vin, the cure for cancer, or "gee I need to scratch my butt"?)That for the moment, is what I feel when I think of the universe.I though the exact same thing. Well sort of. Watching a program with a bit about dinosaur brains it showed computer graphics of inside the brain on a microscopic level an the first thing I thought was 'that looks like the cosmic web! Please let me know if you can see the attached pics Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meteoriot Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Here's a better example of the comparisonIs this a clue? Maybe the universe is all in our minds. Maybe it IS our imagination lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macavity Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 (edited) A favourite: Homer Simpson's BrainPlenty of room for expansion... Edited July 9, 2011 by Macavity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meteoriot Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 (edited) A favourite: Homer Simpson's BrainPlenty of room for expansion... Haha I recently also coincidentally cameacross this and thought it was very fitting. Edited July 9, 2011 by meteoriot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redgiantjohn Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 I thought this was quite interesting. Is the Universe Spinning? : Discovery News Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray49 Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 What i imagine is how long is going to take us earthlings to pollutethe place just like we do our own planet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meteoriot Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 unimaginable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macavity Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Just came across the term:File:Hammerspaceweb.JPG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaMy Brane (sic) hurts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meteoriot Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 This is also well worth a lookhttp://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1430Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obscura Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 The earth was flat so one could fall off the edge so it was once said. Then some bright spark looked up and saw, for the very first time, that the moon was round! Another saw moons orbiting Jupiter. What!! Could it be? The decision was taken by some parliament near the thames that the earth was round! Gordon Bennet! One day they'll claim that we are not the centre of the solar system! Imagine that. The universe is similar but unimaginable. tis to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 How do you Imagine the Universe to be?I thought it was the Universe imagining me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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