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Universe may have no boundaries from "summary" of A Brief History of Time by Stephen W. Hawking

According to the current understanding of cosmology, the universe is thought to have begun with the Big Bang around 13.8 billion years ago. Since then, the universe has been expanding, with galaxies moving away from each other. This expansion can be thought of as the universe stretching like the surface of a balloon being inflated. However, unlike the surface of a balloon, the universe is not expanding into anything; rather, it is the fabric of space itself that is expanding. One question that arises when thinking about the expanding universe is whether it has boundaries. If the universe has boundaries, then what lies beyond those boundaries? Is there an edge to the universe beyond which there is nothing? These are difficult questions to answer, and our current understanding of the universe suggests that it may be infinite in extent and have no boundaries. One way to think about this is to consider the analogy of the surface of a sphere. Just as the surface of a sphere is finite in area but has no boundaries (since it wraps around on itself), the universe could be finite but have no edges. In this scenario, one could travel in a straight line through space and eventually return to the starting point, much like traveling around the surface of a sphere. Another possibility is that the universe is infinite in extent, with no boundaries whatsoever. In this case, there would be no edge to the universe, and one could travel indefinitely in any direction without reaching a boundary. This idea can be challenging to grasp, as it goes against our everyday experiences of living in a finite world with definite boundaries.
  1. It is a fascinating and intriguing possibility that challenges our understanding of the cosmos. As our knowledge of the universe continues to evolve, it is likely that our understanding of its boundaries (or lack thereof) will also continue to deepen and expand. Ultimately, the question of whether the universe has boundaries remains an open and exciting area of research in cosmology.
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A Brief History of Time

Stephen W. Hawking

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