"Epistemologically there are zero reasons for believing
a closed universe is even possible."
Since Rand was quite clear that questions about the nature of
matter and energy were what she called "empirical questions",
properly studied by making observations first, then reasoning
from those observations, your contention that the open vs.
closed universe issue can be decided on introspection alone
amounts to a mystical belief in the God of common sense over
the facts of science. If there is no reason to believe in the
possibility of a closed universe, there is even less reason to
believe that human introspection not based on measurements can
produce any relevant enlightenment on the subject of cosmology.
Ayn Rand would be ashamed, and as an admirer of the great woman,
I am ashamed.
-- Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lcrocker.html> "All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past, are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC