From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Sat Jun 03 2000 - 04:45:42 MDT
In a message dated 6/2/00 10:17:57 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
randysmith101@hotmail.com writes:
<< I read with great interest the recent findings that support a "flat"
universe. I am not qualified to understand what that finding means, and my
interest was in whether these findings support the possiblility that the
universe may be infinite, infinite in the sense that mankind or its
descendants could live on here in eternity.
Some Physics-types Usenet posters discussing this on various Usenet groups
seem to think that a flat universe means an infinite universe.
Anyone here have any thoughts on this? >>
The most common view by astronomers and physicists is that if the Universe
is flat, it will keep on expanding forever. Eventually, life will go extinct
because there will never be any new star formation after a long while, and
the energy sources that remain will decay into lower and lower levels.
Typically this is called the "cold death" viewpoint. Flatness and expansion
is not the traditional Steady State Universe, where life may continue
forever. Nor is it the Heat Death of a rebounding Universe, which also would
bring annihilation.
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