Wednesday 4 July 2012

The Universe is Pear Shaped

Imagine you are standing at time infinity, the end of the universe. Hypothetically, if you could see the whole of space time, right from the beginning (and we know it had a beginning otherwise there would be thermal equilibrium) what would you see?


A giant pear shaped blob of stars and galaxies and supernovae and supermassive black holes, probably shining bright enough that you can’t even see it without burning out your eyeballs a la a true angelic form.

omnomnomnom

The big bang theory, supported by cosmic background radiation, begins with a point of singularity. A tiny point, so small you wouldn’t even be able to see it, even if you existed, of infinite mass and density. It then expands, and keeps expanding, at a faster and faster rate (which can only be explained by dark matter), and then what? You get a space time cone approaching an infinite radius? Nope. It curves back in on itself, big masses curve space time, think about a sheet you drop a pear on to, it bends around. The whole incomprehensible mush of space time converges back in on itself.

I want to clarify I do not like pears very much.

Todostrieb

1 comment:

Oh wow, you're going to comment? Thanks! You'll make us feel all special and fuzzy inside.

It'll take us up to 48 hours to get round to making sure your heartfelt messages of admiration and love don't contain any words they shouldn't, but it *might* take less, depending on whether we're drunk or on covert missions to Ann Summers at the time.