From: Perry E. Metzger (perry@piermont.com)
Date: Sun Apr 20 2003 - 08:03:04 MDT
Paul Hughes <psiphius@yahoo.com> writes:
> I think a more intersting question that is not
> answered in Max Tegmark's amazing Sci Am piece, is how
> an infinitely large Level 1 multiverse came into
> existence in a FINITE period of time.
This I don't have trouble with -- after all, nothing says that you are
starting with a finite sized universe that expands to infinite size --
you can start with an infinite size universe at very high density in
which all points separate from each other at amazing speed, yielding
an infinite universe at much lower average density. This is no more
odd than starting with the set of integers, multiplying each member of
that set by a billion and still having an infinite set but with
different characteristics.
However, I have no idea if this is actually anything like what the
theories say happened. I'm embarrassed at how little I actually
understand of modern physics. I understand a little quantum mechanics
and a reasonable amount of relativity but basically understand nothing
that the modern cosmologists are talking about at all beyond being
able to parrot the words well. When reading stuff about WMAP or what
have you I'm operating on the assumption that other people understand
this rather than personal knowledge, which I intensely dislike.
If anyone knows a good technical introduction on the subject that
would be accessible to someone with a good math background but who
hasn't taken a physics class in some time, I'd highly appreciate it.
-- Perry E. Metzger perry@piermont.com
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