What is the shape of the universe

[bender008]

What is the hsape of it I mean they say it's flat judging from the WNMAP pics and stuff, but is it only a thought

 

[pioneer0333]

I have no clue, but I would also like to know the answer to this question. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[enigma10]

You have to define all contents of a universe before you can catagorize it into a shape. Since we're still trying to figure out what makes up the universe, that shape is constantly changing. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"<font color="#333399">An organism at war with itself is a doomed organism." - Carl Sagan</font></em> </div>

 

[bender008]

Also to save time to creating a new topic I find the Big rip and cold death stupid<br />The big rip makes no sense saying that the galaxies are moving away which is normal and that the we have to go extremely fast and voids law of conservation of energy and that the cold death voids law of conservation of mass and energy. I even Found another flaw if the big rip tears the neucli aparts wouldn't dark energy and matter tear apart

 

[adzel_3000]

Hey Bender,<br /><br />Most astronomers would like to know the shape of the universe too, and there is a lot of work going on in this arena! Current theory and observation suggest that the shape of the Universe is flat, but the reasons for this “flatness” are quite complex. <br /><br />What determines the shape of the universe is its density and the Cosmological Constant: a sort of anti-gravity force allowed by General Relativity…Einstein added this as a fudge factor….but he may have been right, after all! <br /><br />In papers or jpurnals you may see the Cosmological Constant described as Lambda (an upside down V). The cosmological constant is a dark energy value that allows for the current accelerating expansion of the universe. <br /><br />Approximately 75% of the energy density of the present universe is in this form. Another term you have probably encountered is cold dark matter. Cold dark matter is the model for dark matter where the dark matter is explained as being cold, collisionless dust. Cold dark matter makes up about 20% of the energy density of the Universe. The leftover 5% is all of the matter and energy that makes up the atoms and photons that are the building blocks of you, me, a McDonald’s cheeseburger, planets, stars, and gas clouds in the universe.<br /><br />To determine the form of the Universe, scientists look at both Lambda and density and express this as Omega. Omega can have a value of 1, />1, and <1. These three values will determine the shape of the Universe.<br /><br />Astronomers and other scientists have difficulty figuring out what the density of the universe actually. But based on what they do know it seems that the universe is probably flat.<br /><br />If you are interested there are 3 general possibilities. <br />First, like a sphere, the universe might have what is called positive curvature (Omega />1). This is also a "closed" universe in which the universe would be finite in size but without a boundary, just like any sphere. In a closed