How Big is the Universe

[Craig B]

Question: but how did it get so big in only 6000 years?

Absolutely no problem.

Inflation is the extremely rapid exponential expansion of the early universe by a factor of at least 10^78 in volume, driven by a negative-pressure vacuum energy density. The inflationary epoch comprises the first part of the electroweak epoch following the grand unification epoch. It lasted from 10^−36 seconds after the Big Bang to sometime between 10^−33 and 10^−32 seconds.

(Wiki.) Which is somewhat less than six thousand years. You can make the universe as big or small as you like in any time you like, as far as I can see.

That is, if you can drive negative-pressure vacuum energy density. Which I can't, I admit.

 

[Nowhere Man]

I've sent him a message about the crater picture. Also about "your" and "you're," and the use of "x times taller than" versus "x times the height of."

He's replaced the crater picture with a nice artist's rendition of Chixulub at T + a few thousand years. He says,

Thanks for pointing out the mistakes, though I think your forum buddies went overboard. I make one mistake with an image culled from the internet and suddenly I have no credibility? If you type "Chixculub" into google images, the barringer crater shows up. I just hastily grabbed the nicest looking image at the time and moved on. I'll try to check the associated links next time.

He's more interested in insanely big numbers that the strict size of the universe, it seems.

Fred

 

[Loss Leader]

I got into an argument with someone about that at one point. I argued that after a certain point, we can say that a number is not practically different than infinity. For example, if space is finite but so large that human beings will never explore it all (and I'm talking about things like "finding new galaxies" and the like, not "I haven't seen behind my fridge") it doesn't matter, for an practical purpose, whether the universe is infinite or not. We'll be doing the same thing either way.

By that definition, Newark, New Jersey is infinite.

 

[MrFliop]

Still, Donald Trump's ego is bigger.

How prophetic Gravy's final post ever on this site would be.

 

[Dancing David]

But is his ego infinite?

 

[fuelair]

I heartily suggest this wonderful presentation that I have used many times in science classes: https://www.amazon.com/Films-Charle...8&qid=1493399307&sr=1-1&keywords=Powers+of+10

It is marvelous!!!!!! And worth well more than it's cost!!!!!

 

[Molinaro]

Space is incomprehensibly huge. Even the distance to the moon is mind-boggling. I personally can't grasp the size of space quite frankly - it's too large to compare anything to it.

Meh.... I used to think the distance to the moon was impressive. But then I calculated an estimate of the total mileage I rode when I worked as a bicycle courier for 6 years and it was 2/3's of the way to the moon!

100 miles/day for 5 days/week for 50 weeks/year = 25,000 miles per year.

Add in my riding outside work I easily rode to the moon in about 7 years.

 

[Beady]

Space is incomprehensibly huge. Even the distance to the moon is mind-boggling. I personally can't grasp the size of space quite frankly - it's too large to compare anything to it.

Well, let's try this:

This signature is intended to irritate people.

 

[The Man]

It's not how big your universe is, it's how to go about using it.


















Sorry it just had to be said.

 

[Beady]

It's not how big your universe is, it's how to go about using it.


















Sorry it just had to be said.

I think you mean, It's how you go about making it big.

This signature is intended to irritate people.

 

[fuelair]

Here's a little paper comparing how big things are, from the practical to the speculative size of the universe.
https://sites.google.com/site/largenumbers/home/2-1/surveying_the_cosmos

Short version: bigger every day!!!!!

 

[fuelair]

Short version: bigger every day!!!!!

Weird, moving above what I read just before posting this ^^^, I found I had said the same thing (functionally) in 2013!!!!!

 

[fuelair]

Question: but how did it get so big in only 6000 years?

The power of prayer is what I often hear!!!!! Of course, that does not imply I mean it!!!!!!

 

[marplots]

This "how vast is the Universe" sounds a bit too much like shopping for something to be awed about, a la the god-bothers. We don't need to go there, do we?

If you've seen one universe, you've seen them all.

 

[Myriad]

This "how vast is the Universe" sounds a bit too much like shopping for something to be awed about, a la the god-bothers. We don't need to go there, do we?

If you've seen one universe, you've seen them all.

Heh. "Our Useless Universe" (here) is about as close to heresy as I or anyone has ever posted here, but nonetheless it sometimes still seems apt.

 

[fuelair]

Bigger than it was yesterday - by a lot.

And however big you think it is, it is way, way bigger than that!!!!

 

[EHocking]

I think you mean, It's how you go about making it big.

I shave it 14 billion parsecs above The Andromeda Galaxy but leave a little fuzz just above Alpha Centauri.

 

[Speedskater]

Meh.........................
But then I calculated an estimate of the total mileage I rode when I worked as a bicycle courier for 6 years and it was 2/3's of the way to the moon!
100 miles/day for 5 days/week for 50 weeks/year = 25,000 miles per year.
Add in my riding outside work I easily rode to the moon in about 7 years.

How does a bicycle courier ride 100 miles a day and get any work done? That's about 5 hours of open road riding. Riding in the city and going into building will slow the average speed down a lot.

 

[fuelair]

The observable Universe is 2.7×10^23 miles across. Adding the unobservable part, it is bigger but not currently measurable. Really really really really big mostly covers it for most people!!!!!!!!!

 

[Molinaro]

How does a bicycle courier ride 100 miles a day and get any work done? That's about 5 hours of open road riding. Riding in the city and going into building will slow the average speed down a lot.

The difference between the average couriers and the top money makers is how much time you spend from when you get off your bike until you get back on.

Locking up, getting in, getting the person you need to sign for the package to stop what they are doing, and getting back out and on your bike as fast as possible is a learned skill.

A normal shift is 10 hours. So half the time on the bike and half off easily gets you 100 miles. But that is just an average. I had days with lots of longer runs and less deliveries where I covered 150 miles.

At the other extreme was a day where I left the office with 45 overnight deliveries from the day before and dropped them between 8:25 am and 12 noon. Then I did an additional 32 pick and drop deliveries for another 64 total stops.

That was my best money day, earning $330.

That was near the end of my career when I was in tremendous shape.


Back then, if there was a road I would have ridden to the moon for the right price