Is the universe infinite?

[scottobear]

Heck, I don't even know how far it is to the nearest good Mongolian bar-b-que.

Quotes regarding my current job, here.

"Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go Sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!"
- Smart hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, from the book named for his race.

Very appropriate.

Regarding what happened to my earlier entry, I think I came up with an explanation. A local burst of solar energy ionized, and angered the tiny pixies who live in my machine and caused them to stomp the nasty bits of data flat before posting it to LJ. it's the only logical explanation.

Comments

[papoose.livejournal.com]

I had drawn the same conclusion independently. It must be so.

that settles it!

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

I have to find a way to mollify the pixies. perhaps a light sprinking of lint?

keeno!!

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

I love the waggy tail!!!

*applauds thuderously*

Re: keeno!!

[papoose.livejournal.com]

thanks - bandicoot did it for me. Mine needed a bit of work ;)

Re: keeno!!

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

It came out wonderfully... your starting blocks were a good pattern toward the final product, I have no doubt!

[(Anonymous)]

I read your journal now and then and you seem like a neat bloke... (I don't have a journal of my own else this comment wouldn't be anonymous.) I have a kinda technical question for you (if you don't mind) your icon is from stor.co.uk, correct? I was just wondering how you got it in colour... whenever I do mine and try to email it to myself it comes out in black and white. Just wondering...

Amelia :)

Re:

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

hmm... not sure why yours turned out in b/w....

I did indeed get it from stor, but it seems that quite a few folks have various troubles with the site. Turning out black and white in the email is a new error to me. Is it in color at the top of the screen, once assembled and saved? if so, a solution would be to save that pic (if you're using windows, you can just right-click on the image and save as...) and it should be in full color.

Good luck, and let me know if I can help, should that method not work out.

Thank you so much for reading my journal! Welcome to it!

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks for the tip - it worked! Cheers!

A

Re:

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

happy to help, anytime! :)

[burgundy.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it's the nearest one to you, but there's a good Mongolian BBQ place not 15 minutes from me...

Re:

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

so, is the universe infinite?

yoo nee vurs

[razz.livejournal.com]

infinite, adj. the boundless regions of space

So speaks Webster -- while not the only basis for my personal philosophy, surely one of my most revered references.

I used to torment myself (and still do, sometimes) with this question. Even if the universe is finite, then what's beyond the universe? Does it just stop? Is it walled off? How thick is that wall? Is there nothing beyond that wall?!?

I like Bilbo's quote -- it pertains to every second of every day, forever ... infinitely!

Re: yoo nee vurs

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

How does one measure the measureless?

I suspect that if the universe has a limit, it wraps around, like the old asteroids video game, like being on the inside of a ball...

Bilbo's got a lot of good rules for living, but the above is one of my longtime faves.

Old Webby is a good reference. however, my webster's gave the following -

infinite \In"fi*nite\, a. [L. infinitus: cf. F. infini. See In- not, and Finite.] 1. Unlimited or boundless, in time or space; as, infinite duration or distance.

Whatever is finite, as finite, will admit of no comparative relation with infinity; for whatever is less than infinite is still infinitely distant from infinity; and lower than infinite distance the lowest or least can not sink. --H. Brooke.

2. Without limit in power, capacity, knowledge, or excellence; boundless; immeasurably or inconceivably great; perfect; as, the infinite wisdom and goodness of God; -- opposed to finite.

Re: yoo nee vurs

[razz.livejournal.com]

Well, in my longer comment (that was bleeped out of existence somehow because I'd forgotten to log in as an LJ user), I'd written the full-out gung-ho Webby's Defi.s of "universe" and "infinite." One of the defi.s for "universe" was "the whole world, esp. in ref. to mankind" -- that is not infinite because mankind, while great, is humble, and infinite in the sense of being "immeasurably great" is too presumptuous a term to be fairly applied.

You can't measure the immeasurable, which is why the universe, which contains all things known and unknown, is infinite -- something that goes on past knowing.

Maybe there are other universes past this universe. Or maybe I read too many comic books, and I'll be undoing that idea shortly to save what continuity and integrity I have left.

Who knows ... the possiblities are endless!

Re: yoo nee vurs

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

What a canny and concise observation! :)

would a lot of universes comprise a multiverse? a polyverse?

sorry you lost connect with the bigger entry, sometimes when you hit back the data in the form might hang in for you to enter your name.

I like the idea of parallel earths, other versions of myself that took different paths...

Re: yoo nee vurs

[razz.livejournal.com]

I don't think there are mutliverses or polyverses or anything like that. I think it all falls under the category of "is," even if, in some ways, it isn't. It's like a saying somebody told me recently -- I believe that when you can't, you can. Maybe when something isn't, it is.

I don't suppose it's very good to overthink this stuff, though. I once got into an argument with a friend about whether or not you really can have a raygun. My answer (being pro-raygun) was that if Calvin and Hobbes can have rayguns, then so can I.

You can only back up into a still-full text box if you've only written a little bit of almsot insignificant stuff -- the more you write, and the more meaningful it is, the less chance there is of it still being there when you reverse.

So would the reverse-Scottobear in the anti-universe be goatee-free, then?

Re: yoo nee vurs

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

I think you can have a raygun, as long as you're comfortably loose with the definition... as I am about universes. :) The anti-faith that you describe is an interesting way to look at things... power of negative thinking?


The Anti-scotto would probably be named Garth or Magellan... something sinister, yet dorky. As to the goatee issue, who's to say I'm not the evil twin? (although, in all non-modesty, if I'm the evil one, he's got to be a sweetie-pie. A vegetarian, hugging, hippie villian, indeed :) )

although, if I had an eveil twin, maybe he'd have *2* goatees!! or a full beard?

or, as you say, naked of face. possibly a full beard, sans goateefuzz.

Re: yoo nee vurs

[razz.livejournal.com]

So there we have it! We can have rayguns, and we can have multiverses! =D I can accept that. My philosophy (when I remember to be bright and sunny) has always been that you should tolerate more because that way, there will be more things for you to like.

"Anti-faith" ... brr ... that phrase gave me the chills.

"A faithful heart makes wishes come true." - the prominent legend in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

More the power of a broken heart, as opposed to negative thinking, because I really am trying to think positively these days -- even moreso than usual!

Perhaps the anti-Scotto would be nammed "Ottocs" ... which is rather too much like "buttocks" ... which is just really funny. And the anti-razz would be "zzar" ... if you ever needed the names for alien beings, then start taking notes now.

And I'm positive that zzar would have more facial hair than Chewbacca!

If one had two goatees, where would one have them?

You're on a roll tonight!

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

Anti-faith is a frightening term indeed. Better to have none, than the opposite, I suspect.

I really want to see Crouching Tiger... I hear it's excellent, and I'm a big believer in faith (and his lovely sister, hope) getting folks through the toughest times. Keep thinking up...you're a good person, and can use a solid dose of both faith and hope.


maybe all the hair I have is not on the other?fuzzy forehead, naked chin. Razzbacca. I like the sound of that!

perhaps I can rename Ottocs to Uhtawx? still too buttocks-y. I really like Zzar! Zzar the Conquerer! Destroyer of Worlds, Eater of little baby kittens, wearer of meat-hats!

Scary!

If I had 2 goatees, I'd leave one in the trunk as a spare, in case of a goatee accident.

Re: You're on a roll tonight!

[razz.livejournal.com]

It's like the saying -- better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Then there are the immortal words of Kay from Men in Black -- "Try it." Is it truly better to have never had faith then to be against it? I think that, as long as faith can be recaptured or just captured ... well, neither situation is good, but looking ahead, as long as faith isn't too far from being obtained, then that's something to look forward to, in any case.

Crouching Tiger is, indeed, a very excellent movie. I'll have to see it again soon. I'm afraid I was preoccupied with my all-too-recent breakup when I went to see it (all-too-recent being right as I was walking out the door).

I, too, believe in faith and hope, as well as in the other twins -- desire and despair. I am definitely starting to turn from one pair to enjoy the other. Faith and hope are much prettier to look upon. Thanks for wishing their presence upon me -- I can never get enough well-wishes, nor can I ever give enough. I have the fondest hopes for everyone who's sent me their best, or sent anyone such kind words, for that matter.

Razzbacca ... I wouldn't be suprised if a short story came out of this. Ha!

Maybe we can chance Ottocs to Uhtawox -- adding another syllable there further distances it from that gluteal parallel we keep falling back on. And I prefer not to continuously fall on a gluteal parallel.

Meat-hats, eh? Eck! The sight of that is enough to turn ME into a vegetarian! But I don't think I'll ever be able to deny a turkey sandwhich with white American cheese on whole-wheat bread with Miracle Whip and spinach leaves. Mmmm ...

But shame the villain who would eat baby kittens!

If I had two goatees, I'd invest in a case of Nair. Same holds true for if I only had one goatee!