You are viewing our Forum Archives. To view or take place in current topics click here.
Is this why the Universe is expanding?
Posted:

Is this why the Universe is expanding?Posted:

Jeeves
  • TTG Commander
Status: Offline
Joined: Aug 06, 201211Year Member
Posts: 6,360
Reputation Power: 374
Status: Offline
Joined: Aug 06, 201211Year Member
Posts: 6,360
Reputation Power: 374
The quote below by Alan Watts seems to imply that the Universe will continue to expand as long as we use telescopes like Hubble and microscopes like LHC to differentiate finer and finer details about the universe.

What do you think?

"As you make more and more powerful microscopic instruments, the universe has to get smaller and smaller in order to escape the investigation. Just as when the telescopes become more and more powerful, the galaxies have to recede in order to get away from the telescopes. Because what is happening in all these investigations is this: Through us and through our eyes and senses, the universe is looking at itself. And when you try to turn around to see your own head, what happens? It runs away. You'll never get at it.... Shankara explains it beautifully in his commentary on the Kenopanishad where he says 'That which is the Knower, the ground of all knowledge, is never itself an object of knowledge' ...There is always that profound mystery that you're never going to be in absolute control of what is going on, cause if you were, it would be like making love to a plastic woman, and who wants that?"

-Alan Watts
[Coincidentally, this quote preceded by 20 years the scientific discovery that the universe is accelerating in it's expansion.]

EDIT: The quote is saying, that because we are looking for the edge we will never find it, like trying to turn around quick enough to see the back of our own heads.

The Universe is the base for all knowledge, so it can't be a function of knowledge, which means it will never be fully understood.


Last edited by Jeeves ; edited 1 time in total

The following 2 users thanked Jeeves for this useful post:

ProfessorNobody (04-20-2013), KAmiKaZiGRuNT (04-10-2013)
#2. Posted:
Reverence
  • V5 Launch
Status: Offline
Joined: Dec 12, 201013Year Member
Posts: 3,165
Reputation Power: 129
Status: Offline
Joined: Dec 12, 201013Year Member
Posts: 3,165
Reputation Power: 129
This quote does spark a good point, but I don't believe it.
#3. Posted:
Vari
  • TTG Natural
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 17, 201212Year Member
Posts: 953
Reputation Power: 103
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 17, 201212Year Member
Posts: 953
Reputation Power: 103
That quote, to me I don't really understand it. I'm not all that good at astronomy/astrology but what I mainly known is that there's a blue shift and a red shift, the blue shift I believe is moving towards us while the red shift is moving away from us. So every thing in the universe is moving outwards, which makes it expand.

I have no clue if this really makes any sense.
( a bit tired so yeah )
#4. Posted:
Jeeves
  • TTG Commander
Status: Offline
Joined: Aug 06, 201211Year Member
Posts: 6,360
Reputation Power: 374
Status: Offline
Joined: Aug 06, 201211Year Member
Posts: 6,360
Reputation Power: 374
Seriously- wrote That quote, to me I don't really understand it. I'm not all that good at astronomy/astrology but what I mainly known is that there's a blue shift and a red shift, the blue shift I believe is moving towards us while the red shift is moving away from us. So every thing in the universe is moving outwards, which makes it expand.

I have no clue if this really makes any sense.
( a bit tired so yeah )


It's basically saying that because we are looking for the edge we will never find it, like trying to turn around quick enough to see the back of our own heads.

The Universe is the base for all knowledge, so it can't be a function of knowledge, which means it will never be fully understood.

It's more a philosophical question than a physical, scientific one, really.
#5. Posted:
CODLTHAT1OR3O
  • Powerhouse
Status: Offline
Joined: Feb 17, 201212Year Member
Posts: 480
Reputation Power: 17
Status: Offline
Joined: Feb 17, 201212Year Member
Posts: 480
Reputation Power: 17
All I read was the title and you are wrong. God created the "Universe" and if it is "expanding" than it is because of him. Not trying to start a controversy but that is the truth. Don't believe me? Read Genesis.
#6. Posted:
Jeeves
  • 1000 Thanks
Status: Offline
Joined: Aug 06, 201211Year Member
Posts: 6,360
Reputation Power: 374
Status: Offline
Joined: Aug 06, 201211Year Member
Posts: 6,360
Reputation Power: 374
CODLTHAT1OR3O wrote All I read was the title and you are wrong. God created the "Universe" and if it is "expanding" than it is because of him. Not trying to start a controversy but that is the truth. Don't believe me? Read Genesis.


The Bible isn't and isn't supposed to be used as proof of anything.
It's a base for morality and faith, nothing more.
#7. Posted:
Soldier_
  • The Robin
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 09, 201014Year Member
Posts: 4,138
Reputation Power: 154
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 09, 201014Year Member
Posts: 4,138
Reputation Power: 154
CODLTHAT1OR3O wrote All I read was the title and you are wrong. God created the "Universe" and if it is "expanding" than it is because of him. Not trying to start a controversy but that is the truth. Don't believe me? Read Genesis.
Thats religion. This is a theory.

I'm not going to be mean even though I really want to be right now. Right now ill say this, how do you know god really exists? Not tryin to start a fight over religion you can pm me because this is very off topic.


Last edited by Soldier_ ; edited 1 time in total
#8. Posted:
Jeeves
  • TTG Commander
Status: Offline
Joined: Aug 06, 201211Year Member
Posts: 6,360
Reputation Power: 374
Status: Offline
Joined: Aug 06, 201211Year Member
Posts: 6,360
Reputation Power: 374
CODLTHAT1OR3O wrote
Maya wrote
CODLTHAT1OR3O wrote All I read was the title and you are wrong. God created the "Universe" and if it is "expanding" than it is because of him. Not trying to start a controversy but that is the truth. Don't believe me? Read Genesis.
Thats religion. This is a theory.

Obviously you're ignorant to the fact that "religion" (Christianity) has always been the truth, is the truth and will ALWAYS be the truth so lay off.


OK.
There's no point in trying to change this guys mind so let's just cut the religious talk there.
#9. Posted:
Soldier_
  • Vantage
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 09, 201014Year Member
Posts: 4,138
Reputation Power: 154
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 09, 201014Year Member
Posts: 4,138
Reputation Power: 154
CODLTHAT1OR3O wrote
Maya wrote
CODLTHAT1OR3O wrote All I read was the title and you are wrong. God created the "Universe" and if it is "expanding" than it is because of him. Not trying to start a controversy but that is the truth. Don't believe me? Read Genesis.
Thats religion. This is a theory.

Obviously you're ignorant to the fact that "religion" (Christianity) has always been the truth, is the truth and will ALWAYS be the truth so lay off.
Oh here we go. Don't even try and force your religous beliefs on me. If you believe in an invisible man that lives in the sky and somehow created the universe good for you. Don't try and say this is the truth. Its what YOU believe, just because you believe it happend doesn't mean it's true. Now this is very off topic. I'd prefer it if we would stop arguing in this users thread.


Last edited by Soldier_ ; edited 1 time in total
#10. Posted:
ExoticWolfs
  • Christmas!
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 20, 201311Year Member
Posts: 3,585
Reputation Power: 126
Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 20, 201311Year Member
Posts: 3,585
Reputation Power: 126
I don't get what the quote was saying so much, but I think the universe is infinite, and keeps expanding. The universe made itself, and is continuing to make itself. It would be weird if it just ended also...
Jump to:
You are viewing our Forum Archives. To view or take place in current topics click here.