Assessing the feasibility of a cyclical universe from "summary" of Endless Universe by Paul J. Steinhardt,Neil Turok
The idea of a cyclical universe, where the universe goes through an endless series of expansions and contractions, is one that has fascinated cosmologists for many years. But is such a concept feasible? Can it be supported by our current understanding of physics and cosmology?One of the key challenges in assessing the feasibility of a cyclical universe is reconciling it with the laws of thermodynamics. The second law of thermodynamics tells us that entropy, or disorder, always increases over time. This poses a problem for a universe that goes through repeated cycles of expansion and contraction, as each cycle would lead to an increase in entropy that would never be reset. Another challenge comes from the observed expansion of our universe. Current observations suggest that the universe is not only expanding, but that this expansion is accelerating. If the universe is to go through a seri...
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