We are so insignificant in this universe - Page 2

Originally posted by: return_to_hades

Another thing I wonder is how is time related to matter and space. Where does the time line fit it, is there negative time?

We had a few discussions pertaining to this on the "Universe and Beyond" thread that was created by Debu.

In a nutshell: the earliest period of time in the history of the universe is the Planck epoch. That event happened between zero and approximately 10 power -43 seconds. Since we don't know what happened before 10 power -43 seconds, for all intents and purposes, the Planck epoch is the first event of the universe. So there is no negative time as such, as there was nothing (that we know) that happened before that.

Matter is related to space-time (the where and when of it all). Time and space are too fundamental in nature so they can't be further reduced.

Originally posted by: return_to_hades

For me the hardest thing for the human mind to conceptualize seems to be nothing, absolute nothing, the lack of time, matter and space in an uncanny void.

Yes. And it looks like that's where we need to "go" to find the answers to the questions plaguing us (at least some of us).

Originally posted by: Mister.K.

Yes. And it looks like that's where we need to "go" to find the answers to the questions plaguing us (at least some of us).

So the essential task on hand is not to boldly go where no man has gone before, but actually get the mind to boldly go where no mind has gone before. But the bigger question is how.

Originally posted by: return_to_hades

So the essential task on hand is not to boldly go where no man has gone before, but actually get the mind to boldly go where no mind has gone before. But the bigger question is how.

If you dissolve all the minds that ever existed into a bunch of thoughts (we will see who should get credit for what, later) I am sure some thoughts did reach back as far as they could.

I see the expansion of the universe as some thoughts trying to reach out and the collapse of the universe as some thoughts trying to reach in. I don't know if that made any sense. I am not even sure if it made any sense to me.

Let us presume that we managed to make a breakthrough and build rockets/space-ships which can travel at the speed of light. Even that speed is puny compared to the vast distances in the cosmos. Our own galaxy Milky Way alone is 1-2 lakh light years wide, so even if we travel at the speed of light we will need thousands of years to cross it. Aur poore universe mein billions of galaxies hain.

Bigger issue IMO will be communication, if we use radio waves..it will be limited by the speed of light. For example, we send a probe to Alpha Centauri which is 4.2 light years away....communicating with it will be extremely boring. Hum yahaan se hello bolenge to usko wahaan 4.2 years ke baad sunaai dega...woh kuchh bolega to humein 4.2 years ke baad sunne ko milega.

We need to break the light barrier!

teleportation is the way to go

Originally posted by: SolidSnake

Let us presume that we managed to make a breakthrough and build rockets/space-ships which can travel at the speed of light. Even that speed is puny compared to the vast distances in the cosmos. Our own galaxy Milky Way alone is 1-2 lakh light years wide, so even if we travel at the speed of light we will need thousands of years to cross it. Aur poore universe mein billions of galaxies hain.

Not entirely true.

From the perspective of the guy here on earth, yes, the guy in the spaceship (somehow traveling at the speed of light) is taking that many years as you mentioned. But from the perspective of the guy in the spaceship, he is not taking any time at all. It's called relativistic time dilation. Time moves slowly on the spaceship traveling at the speed of light.

If the nearest galaxy to our milky-way is 25000 light years away and if you do go out on a spaceship traveling at the speed of light to the nearest galaxy and come back to earth, you would realize that, 25000 years have passed on earth and nobody you knew are around.

Originally posted by: Mister.K.

Not entirely true.

From the perspective of the guy here on earth, yes, the guy in the spaceship (somehow traveling at the speed of light) is taking that many years as you mentioned. But from the perspective of the guy in the spaceship, he is not taking any time at all. It's called relativistic time dilation. Time moves slowly on the spaceship traveling at the speed of light.

Yeah, I've read about it but what about the communication part?

If the nearest galaxy to our milky-way is 25000 light years away and if you do go out on a spaceship traveling at the speed of light to the nearest galaxy and come back to earth, you would realize that, 25000 years have passed on earth and nobody you knew are around.

That would suck, there has to be some way to return back to your "original" time. I would hate being in that situation...it would be creepy infact. 😆

Originally posted by: SolidSnake

Yeah, I've read about it but what about the communication part?

Yes, if you are stationed on earth, you will abide by the time that's applicable to earth.

They have learned how to accelerate particles almost to the speed of light. I am thinking, if only they could somehow send a communication (by "cleverly" accelerating particles in the form of a communication instead of doing it haphazardly like they do now in the large hadron collider) at least the Send part could be taken care of. The Receive part, I don't know...

Originally posted by: SolidSnake

That would suck, there has to be some way to return back to your "original" time. I would hate being in that situation...it would be creepy infact. 😆

Oh, yeah! Creepy alright. I might as well go to the edge of the universe and try to come back only to notice that the Sun has run out of his fuel and earth is ...gone!

Frankly, if you ask me, it all looks like a puzzle which we are still unable to crack.

Thank M.K

I'll read it and get back then! ;)


You still think the human mind can conceptualize almost anything? I mean yeah, perhaps that yes, but we really cannot know everything, can we? 😉

Originally posted by: -Sneha

Thank M.K

I'll read it and get back then! ;)


You still think the human mind can conceptualize almost anything? I mean yeah, perhaps that yes, but we really cannot know everything, can we? 😉

To my mind, two concepts are incomprehensible:
a. The concept of Everything
b. The concept of Nothing