If you liked my last entry... Here's a twist to physics therory
THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE IS SHRINKING
(or - "Honey, I shrunk the universe")
Yes, it's a paradox, but the universe is both expanding and shrinking at the same time. The
universe has already been as big as it's ever going to be, and it's been shrinking from that
size ever since. From the "big bang" to the "big crunch"? And what does all this mean for our
old friend gravity? Read on!
CELESTIAL ROAD
Imagine a long straight road with a line of cars travelling along it. The road represents the
universe, and the cars represent the galaxies. The road is shrinking in length and width, and
so too, are the cars. A ruler running along the edge of the road is also shrinking, so we have
no obvious way to measure the relative shrinkage of the road (universe) and cars (galaxies).
Also, the cars are moving further apart from each other while they are travelling and shrinking,
so the universe would appear to be expanding from our viewpoint. And some cars are getting
bigger than other cars, but they are only getting bigger within this shrinking environment,
effectively, they are expanding while they are also shrinking.
BALLOONS
One way to explain the paradox of an expanding galaxy within a shrinking universe, is to imagine
a picture of two balloons in a frame in the centre of your computer screen. The picture frame
represents the universe. One balloon remains at a constant size, while the other is steadily
growing. As you are watching the screen, the whole picture gets gradually smaller. One balloon
is still growing relative to the other, but the picture frame (universe) and the balloons
(galaxies, stars, planets etc.) are all shrinking.
So, while the stars and galaxies travel and drift apart, and while some might grow (and die), they
do so within a shrinking universe, in which, they too, are effectively shrinking.
GRAVITY
If this theory of a shrinking universe is correct, it has profound implications as to the nature of
gravity. It would mean that gravity wasn't the prime cause of matter coming together to eventually
create the planets, stars and galaxies. Rather, that gravity is an effect created by the same
shrinking force that helped to create the planets, stars and galaxies. I'm sorry to put a damper on
things Buzz, but it's not: "To infinity and beyond". It's more like: "To finite and crunch". We are
midgets compared to what we were yesterday. We are giants compared to what we will be tomorrow.
!!!!!!|8 - )