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My understanding is that we have conducted experiments to measure the curvature of the universe, and come up with answers that are withing the experimental erro
by gizmo686 11y ago
My understanding is that we have conducted experiments to measure the curvature of the universe, and come up with answers that are withing the experimental error of being flat. Without any theoretical reason why the universe should be flat, it is still possible that the universe is curved, but to slightly for us to detect, however, but the simplest interpretation is to say that the universe is flat.
Of course, if we a assume a multiverse with universes having regularly distributed, positive curvatures, then, the size of the universe would grow asymptotically as the curvature approached flat, so, statistically, life is more more likely to arise on the flatter universes.
- vectorjohn 11y agoIs it possible, or in any way related, that a small but non-zero curvature could be responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe? I don't know, it's hard to picture. But I'm thinking the idea that you can look at a sphere as a 2 dimensional space that curves and eventually wraps around such that things going opposite directions on its surface eventually can run into each other again. That would probably be more easily measured though. I don't know.
- contravariant 11y agoThat's a remarkably close guess. A small non-zero curvature would correspond to a non-zero cosmological constant, which is precisely what seems to be driving the accelerated expansion of the universe (there are other explanations but this is the simplest one).