[extropy-chat] The Simulation Argument

[Mike Lorrey]

--- John K Clark <jonkc at att.net> wrote:

> "Patrick Wilken" <Patrick.Wilken at Nat.Uni-Magdeburg.DE>
> 
> > But there has been a finite amount of time since the Big Bang. The
> > universe might be bigger than we can see, but not infinitely so.
> 
> No, the time constraint only limits the observable universe. The Big
> Bang happened 13.8 billion years ago so the observable universe 
> (for us) is a sphere centered on the Earth with a radius of 13.8
> billion light years, we can look at 2 galaxies 13.8 billion light
> years away and 180 degrees apart but neither can see the other
> because they are not in their observable universe.

It's more than that. We can see 13.8 billion ly in each direction.
Those galaxies, proto-galaxies, etc are now 13.7999 billion ly further
away (since the light we see now was created 13.8 billion years ago),
so the diameter of the universe is now ~54 billion ly not counting
stuff that was zooming out before it could generate quantities of point
light sources. Counting that stuff, its about 60 billion ly across.

=====
Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


		
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