Absolutely worthless thought exercise

[Mac1958]

I'm an extreme layperson on this stuff, but I find it fascinating anyway. And I certainly realize that I'm not the first to wonder about it.

Anyway, as I understand it, Edwin Hubble calculated around 75 years ago that the universe is expanding, and its expansion is actually increasing in speed, so let's stipulate to that.

Also as I understand it, this is because the Big Bang was SO fucking big that we're still in the boom phase of our existence. Okay. So here's my question: Couldn't it also be true that the increase of the speed is because we are being attracted (perhaps via gravity) to something, or some things in different places?

Just thinking out loud here.
.

 

[JakeStarkey]

 

[Moonglow]

It has to expand, to make room for the new galaxies being born...

 

[gipper]

It has to expand, to make room for the new galaxies being born...

It has to expand to contain Obama's ego.

 

[Moonglow]

It has to expand, to make room for the new galaxies being born...

It has to expand to contain Obama's ego.

I am sure you went far in physics class...

 

[TheOldSchool]

I'm an extreme layperson on this stuff, but I find it fascinating anyway. And I certainly realize that I'm not the first to wonder about it.

Anyway, as I understand it, Edwin Hubble calculated around 75 years ago that the universe is expanding, and its expansion is actually increasing in speed, so let's stipulate to that.

Also as I understand it, this is because the Big Bang was SO fucking big that we're still in the boom phase of our existence. Okay. So here's my question: Couldn't it also be true that the increase of the speed is because we are being attracted (perhaps via gravity) to something, or some things in different places?

Just thinking out loud here.
.

As soon as we know what dark matter and dark energy are, you'll have a concrete answer to that question. Well, at least more concrete than now...

That could take anywhere from 10 to 100 years.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Read Stephen Hawking.

 

[Mac1958]

I'm an extreme layperson on this stuff, but I find it fascinating anyway. And I certainly realize that I'm not the first to wonder about it.

Anyway, as I understand it, Edwin Hubble calculated around 75 years ago that the universe is expanding, and its expansion is actually increasing in speed, so let's stipulate to that.

Also as I understand it, this is because the Big Bang was SO fucking big that we're still in the boom phase of our existence. Okay. So here's my question: Couldn't it also be true that the increase of the speed is because we are being attracted (perhaps via gravity) to something, or some things in different places?

Just thinking out loud here.
.

As soon as we know what dark matter and dark energy are, you'll have a concrete answer to that question. Well, at least more concrete than now...

That could take anywhere from 10 to 100 years.

Well, that's the thing. I'm aware of the theory (at least I think it's still a theory) of dark matter and thought of that, but another thing I wonder if dark matter and dark energy had to be "created" in order to explain the expansion.

I may be too hopeful, but it sure does seem like we're on the verge of some pretty cool discoveries.
.

 

[TheOldSchool]

I'm an extreme layperson on this stuff, but I find it fascinating anyway. And I certainly realize that I'm not the first to wonder about it.

Anyway, as I understand it, Edwin Hubble calculated around 75 years ago that the universe is expanding, and its expansion is actually increasing in speed, so let's stipulate to that.

Also as I understand it, this is because the Big Bang was SO fucking big that we're still in the boom phase of our existence. Okay. So here's my question: Couldn't it also be true that the increase of the speed is because we are being attracted (perhaps via gravity) to something, or some things in different places?

Just thinking out loud here.
.

As soon as we know what dark matter and dark energy are, you'll have a concrete answer to that question. Well, at least more concrete than now...

That could take anywhere from 10 to 100 years.

Well, that's the thing. I'm aware of the theory (at least I think it's still a theory) of dark matter and thought of that, but another thing I wonder if dark matter and dark energy had to be "created" in order to explain the expansion.

I may be too hopeful, but it sure does seem like we're on the verge of some pretty cool discoveries.
.

We know dark matter exists because of its effects on gravity, but it doesn't interact with the other forces in the universe. And we know even less about dark energy.

This is a good video and pretty short:

 

[Vastator]

I'm an extreme layperson on this stuff, but I find it fascinating anyway. And I certainly realize that I'm not the first to wonder about it.

Anyway, as I understand it, Edwin Hubble calculated around 75 years ago that the universe is expanding, and its expansion is actually increasing in speed, so let's stipulate to that.

Also as I understand it, this is because the Big Bang was SO fucking big that we're still in the boom phase of our existence. Okay. So here's my question: Couldn't it also be true that the increase of the speed is because we are being attracted (perhaps via gravity) to something, or some things in different places?

Just thinking out loud here.
.

Well, since this is just a worthless thought exercise... Perhaps as large masses get further from each other; the gravitational void becomes filled by the influx of dark matter. As we know nature abhors a vacuum. Since we know matter, and anti-matter are incomparable.
So perhaps as the void is filled with more dark matter... A repulsive effect takes place; propelling the distant objects further, and faster. They Should increase in speed the farther they get from one another.

 

[Mac1958]

I'm an extreme layperson on this stuff, but I find it fascinating anyway. And I certainly realize that I'm not the first to wonder about it.

Anyway, as I understand it, Edwin Hubble calculated around 75 years ago that the universe is expanding, and its expansion is actually increasing in speed, so let's stipulate to that.

Also as I understand it, this is because the Big Bang was SO fucking big that we're still in the boom phase of our existence. Okay. So here's my question: Couldn't it also be true that the increase of the speed is because we are being attracted (perhaps via gravity) to something, or some things in different places?

Just thinking out loud here.
.

As soon as we know what dark matter and dark energy are, you'll have a concrete answer to that question. Well, at least more concrete than now...

That could take anywhere from 10 to 100 years.

Well, that's the thing. I'm aware of the theory (at least I think it's still a theory) of dark matter and thought of that, but another thing I wonder if dark matter and dark energy had to be "created" in order to explain the expansion.

I may be too hopeful, but it sure does seem like we're on the verge of some pretty cool discoveries.
.

We know dark matter exists because of its effects on gravity, but it doesn't interact with the other forces in the universe. And we know even less about dark energy.

This is a good video and pretty short:

Good stuff, thanks.

So they believe that dark matter is what essentially replaces the lack of gravity for keeping galaxies together, kind of a cosmic Superglue™.

Very neat.
.

 

[Mac1958]

I'm an extreme layperson on this stuff, but I find it fascinating anyway. And I certainly realize that I'm not the first to wonder about it.

Anyway, as I understand it, Edwin Hubble calculated around 75 years ago that the universe is expanding, and its expansion is actually increasing in speed, so let's stipulate to that.

Also as I understand it, this is because the Big Bang was SO fucking big that we're still in the boom phase of our existence. Okay. So here's my question: Couldn't it also be true that the increase of the speed is because we are being attracted (perhaps via gravity) to something, or some things in different places?

Just thinking out loud here.
.

Well, since this is just a worthless thought exercise... Perhaps as large masses get further from each other; the gravitational void becomes filled by the influx of dark matter. As we know nature abhors a vacuum. Since we know matter, and anti-matter are incomparable.
So perhaps as the void is filled with more dark matter... A repulsive effect takes place; propelling the distant objects further, and faster. They Should increase in speed the farther they get from one another.

Just to get completely silly here, I then wonder if dark matter is something that is created or multiplies or expands somehow to fill the voids.
.

 

[Vastator]

Maybe it's the cosmos's version of currents. Like on earths oceans?

 

[RosieS]

Maybe it's the cosmos's version of currents. Like on earths oceans?

Yup - just like that.

At the quantum level, particles act like waves and vice versa.

You've heard of the Higgs boson they found - the "God particle"?

That is what made time/space 'sticky' for mass so that masses could not go flying around willy nilly anymore and made masses attractive to each other.

Dark energy is thought may be the wavelike force that makes dark matter particles fill in voids and overcome 'grabity' (the Rugrats cartoon word) so that this Universe keeps expanding and is showing no signs of any contracting anytime soon.

Regards from Rosie

 

[The Professor]

According to Newton's First Law of Motion: “When viewed in an inertial reference frame, an object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force.” What Newton proposed makes sense to me. A moving object which is independent of a self-accelerating force such as “putting the pedal to the metal” would not slow down unless acted upon by an opposing force such as friction. Likewise the same object would not increase in speed unless acted upon by an independent accelerating force such as gravity.

Having said all this, I would remind you all that I have always maintained that I am not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. I have also defined nature as the way God does things and science as the study of nature and therefore science as the study of the way God does things. If I knew how everything in this universe worked I would be God and I'm not. I applied for the position once but was told I was overqualified so I became a Walmart greeter instead.

NOTE: Gravity is both a decelerating force and an accelerating force. When a planet closer to the sun approaches a planet further from the sun its orbital speed is increased temporarily and as it distances itself from the outer planet its speed decreases for a time. Of course, those planets closer to the sun have a shorter orbital period than those more distant. As established by Kepler, the square of the sidereal period (length of orbital period expressed in terms of one earth year) is proportional to the cube of its semi-major axis (half of the longest line that can be drawn across an orbit). The gravitational force is a known constant which is determined by both the mass of objects and the distance between them. Therefore, if the entire universe is expanding at a constant rate consistant with gravity in all directions then it must also be true that the entire universe is surrounded by something extraordinarily uniform and powerful. I learned this in the Walmart greeters' handbook.