Either Life Exists Elsewhere or The Universe is finite.

[adamstewart]

We are life. We exist. Therefore, the probability that life exists is greater than zero.

In an infinite universe, it is certain that a non-zero probability event will occur (repeatedly).

Therefore, either life exists elsewhere in the universe, or the universe is finite.


... but if the universe is finite, how does it end? And what's on the other side?



As an aside, if one assumes that the universe if infinite, it follows that the probability that I am sitting here this very moment, typing a 2+2 post on my Dell laptop .... again, is greater than zero. Therefore, an identicle "me", an identicle "earth", an identicle society .... must also exist elsewhere (repeatedly).



Adam

[fluxrad]

There are theories out there that the universe is, in fact, finite. I believe the latest one was the soccer-ball theory.

[BZ_Zorro]

In an infinite universe, are there an infinite number of infinite possibilities? Good question.

Here's a thought:

According to this theory, someone, somewhere in the universe would have found or made a tool to destroy everything in the universe, and used it (since every possible version of every possible thing exists). Therefore, because the universe (and us) still exists, the universe either

A) Cannot be infinite
B) Cannot contain every possible variant of every possible scenario.

[Jim T]

[ QUOTE ]
In an infinite universe, are there an infinite number of infinite possibilities? Good question.

Here's a thought:

According to this theory, someone, somewhere in the universe would have found or made a tool to destroy everything in the universe, and used it (since every possible version of every possible thing exists). Therefore, because the universe (and us) still exists, the universe either

A) Cannot be infinite
B) Cannot contain every possible variant of every possible scenario.

[/ QUOTE ]
C) A device capable of destroying the universe is not possible.

[BZ_Zorro]

Exactly, it comes down to an argument of what's possible. It's entirely possible that a universe could exist and be filled with nothing but blank space. Or, there could be an infinite number of infinite universes, and we're the one where life only exists on one planet. Just because the universe is infinite doesn't mean everything that could exist will exist.

Therefore, the original argument is bankrupt.

[ QUOTE ]
We are life. We exist. Therefore, the probability that life exists is greater than zero.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the only thing this proves is the probability that life exists on this planet is greater than zero

There could be an infinite number of unique planets out there, and none of them be anything like Earth

[usmhot]

The Universe is spatially finite.

Indeed, its finite and unbounded - i.e. there is no edge.

Simple explanation of something having no edge is:
imagine you are a one dimensional being living in a ring - you can only move forwards or backwards within the ring (there is no other direction as there is no other dimension). If you move forwards indefinitely you eventually get back to where you started from without ever reaching an edge or boundary.

Before Einstein the prevailing believe was in an infinite static Universe, but solutions to Einstein's General Relativity equations consist of finite unbounded Universes (causing him much consternation, cos he had grown up believing the Universe to be infinite).

At this stage the evidence for a Big Bang is pretty much unassailable. And, given that the Universe started as a singularity - i.e. spatially restricted to a single point - and a limited time has passed since then, and nothing can travel faster than the speed of light (relative to anything else) it could never have become (yet or in the future) spatially infinite.

[BZ_Zorro]

[ QUOTE ]
The Universe is spatially finite

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, you seem very certain of that. I don't know of any professional scientist who can say it with such certainty.

[PairTheBoard]

[ QUOTE ]
adamstewart --

We are life. We exist. Therefore, the probability that life exists is greater than zero.


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not sure that follows. Pick a number from 0 to 1 at random from a uniform distribution. Say the number is q. We might be like that q. q was picked. Does that mean the probabilty of q being picked is nonzero? Nope.

PairTheBoard

[usmhot]

Pretty much every physicist I know would be close to certain of that - ignoring theories of parallel Universes and such like.

Given the widespread acceptance of the Big Bang, to believe that the Universe can go from a finite (in fact infinitessimal) size to an infinite size in finite time is beyond acceptable.