User:Magicfly
In the Beginning
[edit | edit source]There are many theories about the beginning of the Universe as we know it. Although these theories differ in a variety of ways, but they all have some underlying fundamental truths, at least for the realm of understanding.
Each religion has its own beliefs, most of which are essentially the same. That is that some Entity created the Universe, for the Christian's it is God but there is also Buddha, Mohammad etc. Science also has had several theories on the beginning of the Universe. There are many beliefs and theories ranging from simple stories related to children, to more sophisticated theories related by philosophers and scholars. So where did the Universe come from?
"In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth." According to the King James Bible, the Earth was created by a supreme being known as God. This idea is present in most of the other religions of the world as well, the name is different from religion to religion, but the concept is the same. In every religion, the Universe is created, spoken, molded, sculpted, breathed etc into existence by some supreme being. It is a common theme, as all religions need a starting point, a place which man can begin to understand their surroundings. Because man has a limited capacity for thought and an even more limited capacity for understanding, it becomes quite hard for them to understand the overwhelming concepts of the Universe.
For most people to believe that the Universe has existed forever and will exit forever is a concept that they can not grasp. Science is a little easier to understand because it is based on facts and not merely beliefs. Though in many cases the facts are nothing more than beliefs that have not been proven or not proven. For example it was once thought that the Earth was flat and that if you sailed too far in any direction you would simply fall off. It was a theory that was proven incorrect. It was once thought that the Earth was the center of the Solar System, and in fact the Universe. That too was proven to be incorrect, until now. Science is no different than any religion of the world in this regard, because just as all religions are given words from the supreme being to guide them, these words are always unclear and subject to interpretation. Science too is subject to interpretations.
With every religion in the world, the Words of God can and many times do have different meanings to different people. They are words written a long time ago to help guide the people of that day to become the people of today, and to guide the people of today into becoming the people of tomorrow. With that in mind, you must take a look at how society changes over the ages. All aspects of life change over the course of time, either because our morality has changed, or our morality has changed because of the changes in the way we dress, the way we maintain our appearance, even the way we work and play. Even our language changes as words are added through slang, and colloquial phrases are removed because they are outdated. The religious writings of long ago have all but been redefined through various translations and editing. To make the writings easier for the current reader to understand man has found it necessary to change certain aspects with respect to the beliefs of that day. As society changes so too changes what society believes is moral. With each revision and with each translation new morality is inserted into the writings to coincide with the moral beliefs of the day.
What is the Universe
[edit | edit source]By definition, the Universe is Space and everything within that space. All matter, all energy, all life, and all consciousness make up the Universe as we know it. Most scientific minds see the whole of space as a series of Universe's know as a Multiverse. This is actually a logical way of thinking of the Universe, since Einstein's theory of relativity states that the laws of Physics are the same for everybody in the Universe, but that the perception of those laws are different based upon the observers relation to the Universe itself.
Are there more than one Universe
[edit | edit source]Through modern technology we have been able to photograph with an electron microscope the essence of the atom. The image is not truly a photo of the atom, merely the energy emitted by the atom. Using this technology it is possible to 'photograph' the fluctuating states of the atoms and witness their relationship to other atoms and space in general. We now have proof that atoms exist simultaneously in several locations at the same instance. This startling discovery leads to the conclusion that there are an unlimited number of Universe's, known as the Multiverse. It is this theory that every atom exists in every Universe simultaneously, and more that the same atom can exist in different states in each Universe.
How are Time and Space Linked
[edit | edit source]It has been said that time and space are linked. Time is difficult to describe, but is required for space to even exist. Space is a little easier to describe because we see space with our own eyes, but space can not be described properly without the use of time in the description. Everything in space occupies a specific place at a specific time. Simply put, we travel through space and time, and space and time travel through us. It is a dance that has been going on in the Universe since time and space began, and will continue for eternity. So then how are time and space linked? Can one exist without the other? Is there some other cosmic force that links time and space? Are the stars random? Does life exist because we imagine it? Are the rules of the Universe such as the speed of light, gravity, sound, etc. constant or varied by perspective.
The great minds of the past have asked these questions and many more, for centuries. The answers are not clear cut however; many times there seem to be multiple answers for the same question, seemingly contradictory answers to the questions. The biggest controversy in understanding is religion verses science. The very existence of life is apparently in controversy.
Why am I the Center of the Universe?
[edit | edit source]Space is vast, very very vast. Space it is said goes on forever. That simply means that there is no boundary between space and something on the other side. This is a hard concept for most people to understand, since they are used to being in something such as a room or a building which has walls as a boundary. When we are in something there is a boundary that holds the "in" part, and there is always something on the other side of this boundary. Yet we are in space and there is no boundary. There can be no boundary, just by the very essence of what the Universe is. If you are in this room for example and the boundaries are the walls, ceiling and floor, then if you made a hole in them and went through the boundary, you would still be in 3 dimensional space. You would just be changing the boundary you are in, because now you are in a different room with different walls.
By definition a boundary holds something in, and separates that which is in from that which is out. To say that the Universe has a boundary is to say that something exists out side of this boundary. If that were the case, then this area outside its boundary would have its own boundary. This would continue to infinity. It is true that there are boundaries in space such as the afore mentioned rooms, but there are boundaries on other scales as well. A drop of water for example has a boundary between the water inside and the air outside. A diamond has a boundary between the compressed carbon and the silver or gold holding it, which also has a boundary between the ring and the finger that the ring is on. Even on a molecular scale, the atoms have boundaries between the nucleus and the electrons. As you increase the macroscopic view of the universe, the boundaries become fewer, but the Universe can ultimately never be contained.
That said space continues on forever in all directions. If you could see far enough when you looked you would see infinity on your right, and infinity on your left. Since infinity equals infinity, you are directly in the center no matter where in the Universe you are standing. You are the center of the Universe, and similarly time will exist for eternity, as it already has so we are at the center of time.
It is all a matter of perspective. As Einstein developed the theory of relativity, the key to the matter (if you will pardon the pun), all matter, is perception or perspective. All of the laws of the Universe follow the same guidelines for every viewer in the Universe. To rephrase for clarity, just as we are at the center of the Universe and the center of Time, we could also say that we are on top of the world. The reason this is true is simply that we are on the surface of a sphere which by definition (of a sphere) is an object that all lines perpendicular to all of the tangent planes travel through the center of the object. Much like a circle is described as a two dimensional object whereby all of the lines perpendicular to all tangent lines travel through the center of the object. If therefore you are standing on one of these tangent planes, up would be everything on your side of the plane and down would be everything on the other, or you would be on the top side of the plane on which you are standing. Simply put, in Space there is no up or down, no left or right, and no front or back. There is only the direction you chose to call up, down, left, right, front or back. Your up could just as well be someone else’s left or right, front or back. It is merely a matter of perspective.