Hole In My Universe
Wolfie — August 25, 2007, 10:27 am
The current thinking in cosmology is putting a lot of weight behind the theory that the Universe is in fact shaped like a trumpet, known as a Picard topology. (yes, named after the fictional Star Trek character).
So I was interested to read this week that observations of the CMB using the VLA radio telescope, also verified by observations made by NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite have identified a large hole in the Universe about 6 to 10 billion light-years away from Earth.
All of which got me thinking…
Filed under: Sci/Tech
That’s bizarre!
It could be doughnut shaped?
The universe I mean.
I suspect we’ll find these huge voids are fairly regular features.
I’m wondering how the Raelians take this.
They think our universe is an atom in a person in another universe.
Wow!
Saddle-shaped, was the description I read years ago - don’t know by whom, or where or when, or how they worked it out.
The narrow end is supposed to be infinitely long, but gradually becoming narrower, a bit like a conical parabola, right? The article mentioned that if you got far enough down the narrow end, you’d eventually be able to see the back of your own head.
So, I wonder what would happen if, assuming we find a way to get there, CERN built a particle accelerator close to the narrow end with an exit point aimed directly down the center of the narrow end, then fired out a few dozen antineutrons?
Would the particles keep going, continuously gaining acceleration until they collide with themselves?
If not, then what would happen?
If so, then what would happen next?
Amazing. And that hole would take a billion years to travel from one end to the next, if travelling at the speed of light.
Now reading up on the picard topology
Kay, sorry to be a pedant, but you wouldn’t be able to see the back of your head- for one good reason- the universe expands at light speed.
Wolfie,
I visited this post before and every time I come back I find the picture hypnotising. It is fantastic, where did you get it ?
Unfortunately I don’t remember where I got the photo from, just one of my sessions scooting around the internet wildly looking for a suitable illustration. Sorry things have been a bit quiet around here, I’ve been rather tied-up with work lately.
Kay, it would make a good plot for an episode of Doctor Who but otherwise quite impossible.