Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

The evidence about the accelerating expansion of the universe would seem to contradict that theory.





Not necessarily.

A) We don’t know if all derivatives are >= 0. e.g. if the jerk rate is < 0, then you’d expect contraction eventually. Similarly, if the derivative of the jerk rate is < 0 & so on. So even accelerating expansion could eventually lead to contraction.

B) We don’t have a lot of very highly compelling evidence that the universe is actually accelerating (at least nowhere like we do for the Big Bang). For example, alternate models have proposed that our apparent perception of the expansion is simply as a result of the effect of non-uniform gravity throughout the universe & that the vaccuum of space between galaxies has even less time dilation and that’s what make it look like things are expanding.

In other words, I’d put the model of a permanently expanding universe as less likely to actually match reality.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: