Is the Universe Infinite?

Explore the biggest question of all. How far do the stars stretch out into space? And what's beyond them? In modern times, we built giant telescopes that have allowed us to cast our gaze deep into the universe. Astronomers have been able to look back to near the time of its birth. They've reconstructed the course of cosmic history in astonishing detail.

From intensive computer modeling, and myriad close observations, they've uncovered important clues to its ongoing evolution. Many now conclude that what we can see, the stars and galaxies that stretch out to the limits of our vision, represent only a small fraction of all there is.

Does the universe go on forever? Where do we fit within it? And how would the great thinkers have wrapped their brains around the far-out ideas on today's cutting edge?

For those who find infinity hard to grasp, even troubling, you're not alone. It's a concept that has long tormented even the best minds.

Over two thousand years ago, the Greek mathematician Pythagoras and his followers saw numerical relationships as the key to understanding the world around them.

But in their investigation of geometric shapes, they discovered that some important ratios could not be expressed in simple numbers.

Take the circumference of a circle to its diameter, called Pi.

Computer scientists recently calculated Pi to 5 trillion digits, confirming what the Greeks learned: there are no repeating patterns and no ending in sight.

The discovery of the so-called irrational numbers like Pi was so disturbing, legend has it, that one member of the Pythagorian cult, Hippassus, was drowned at sea for divulging their existence.

A century later, the philosopher Zeno brought infinity into the open with a series of paradoxes: situations that are true, but strongly counter-intuitive.

In this modern update of one of Zeno's paradoxes, say you have arrived at an intersection. But you are only allowed to cross the street in increments of half the distance to the other side. So to cross this finite distance, you must take an infinite number of steps.

In math today, it's a given that you can subdivide any length an infinite number of times, or find an infinity of points along a line.

What made the idea of infinity so troubling to the Greeks is that it clashed with their goal of using numbers to explain the workings of the real world.

To the philosopher Aristotle, a century after Zeno, infinity evoked the formless chaos from which the world was thought to have emerged: a primordial state with no natural laws or limits, devoid of all form and content.

But if the universe is finite, what would happen if a warrior traveled to the edge and tossed a spear? Where would it go?

It would not fly off on an infinite journey, Aristotle said. Rather, it would join the motion of the stars in a crystalline sphere that encircled the Earth. To preserve the idea of a limited universe, Aristotle would craft an historic distinction.

On the one hand, Aristotle pointed to the irrational numbers such as Pi. Each new calculation results in an additional digit, but the final, final number in the string can never be specified. So Aristotle called it "potentially" infinite.

Then there's the "actually infinite," like the total number of points or subdivisions along a line. It's literally uncountable. Aristotle reserved the status of "actually infinite" for the so-called "prime mover" that created the world and is beyond our capacity to understand. This became the basis for what's called the Cosmological, or First Cause, argument for the existence of God.

ABOUT US
Here at SpaceRip, we value the exploration of the unknown. We surpass boundaries for the sake of uncovering the mysteries of the cosmos and what they may tell us about our origin and our future. With our videos, we hope to educate our viewers on how we fit into the universe, and more so how we can do our part to better it.

We have partnered with MagellanTV with the goal of providing our viewers with insight regarding our uncertain future on Earth and beyond. Equipped with knowledge, we hope to inspire people to enact change and pave the way for a better tomorrow.

[reyalexandro]

I just dont get how the very thought of space being infinite doesnt fascinate more people.

[TheSeamuss]

So many people with a negative attitude and closed minds will never learn anything in this life. This is a fantastic video.

[KutWrite]

I'll save you 24 minutes: They don't know.

[shwetharamesh]

Sometimes I come to vidoes like this to seek comfort in that fact that none of the things we worry about actually matter and that I'll be okay even if I haven't studied enough for the exam I have in less than 24 hours. But now I'll go back to studying cuz college is expensive :)

[mathewfonger]

How can it NOT BE INFINITY - what- there's a BRICK wall at the END... ?WHAT'S AFTER THE BRICK WALL?

[donaldbeck]

I say again, this guy's voice is the bomb

[daxariusdebruin]

YES. Because of the following points:

1. Why would there be a beginning or end of the universe if we never actually observed any beginning or end at all? Everything we have observed is a change in the composition of material that already was. If I ‘make’ a cake I don’t actually ‘create’ anything physical, but I re-arrange ingredients that already were. We invented these labels like all other labels to use them as a tool for our survival. For someone who takes the ‘begin’ or ‘end’ as ‘truth’ its easy to think: “Everything in nature has a begin and end SO where did the universe start and where does it end?”. We made all these creation theory’s on that thinking error.

2. If I bypass the first thinking error and accept that these labels as true then you can still define the endless emptiness behind the ‘end’ label as ‘infinite’ to remove the subjective end. If the universe is a inflatable balloon and we live on the surface of it then you need a outside observer to acknowledge the ‘end’ and by that the outside observer makes the universe bigger then the surface of the balloon since he is standing outside it. On the surface of the balloon you can never know if you are walking in a straight line to different parallel universes that look the same or walking in a circle. You can see the same universe over and over, but there will always remain the question if the pattern breaks after the second third or later cycles so then you will need that outside observer who cannot exist without expanding the universe. This does not add up and is in my opinion forcing to find the ‘end’ that we never observed in the first place (see point 1).

There can be a big bang and a so called ‘end’ to the patterns like the change of patterns we see in solar systems and galaxy’s, but a absolute end in a physical universe seems logically impossible.

[darrenwagenbachwagenbach]

The delivery of his, voice and music makes this documentary come alive.

[dichaelovic]

This is a weird subject, im always mindblown when thinking about The universe and what can be out there.

[amirkenan]

The universe is endless people, there will always be something.

[studiowizard]

This is nearly 10 years old and still fascinating! I wonder what would be different if they made this video today.

[ShinobiNeon]

It's a fun concept to explore, but as far as we know, the universe just goes on forever. I don't think there is an end or some kind of barrier to keep us "inside" the universe. It's kind of crazy to think about. We don't have anything on earth to really compare to the concept of infinite space in all directions. lt's mind boggling to even consider.

[j-kane]

I wish we had the technology to send a craft into space, and keep going until it hits something. I don't think there's an end, and I also believe that in this vast, never ending universe...we can't be the only planet with life on it. There must be another planet or planets out there where the inhabitants there might be thinking the same about us

[allensmith]

". . . like the room at the end of an endless corridor . . ." A paradox. Endless means without end.

[johnnybrix]

Just to know and understand that we are all part of it makes it joyous!

[KineticGTR]

"...the final final answer, will always elude us." I see what you did there! :P

[anthonyciferri]

the universe is beyond our Comperhendtion, we will never know.

[ShutupNerd]

I bet earth makes fun of the other planets for having no life.

[woodytheone]

This is dead ass one of the coolest documentaries I've ever seen. Everything about it from the pure concept of the video, to the visuals and music used. Brilliant stuff and super trippy.

[YellowGamePlay]

if the universe is infinite, space would go on forever, how is that possible (so weird) but if it is finite, what's on the edge and what's like 'behind' it? it's just scary to think about