h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Wait wait wait! Every time I say this, you seem to get it wrong. I'm sorry I have to go over it again, but it really is important:
'Universe' means 'everything', it is the encapsulation of absolutly everything in existance or non-existance. The Universe isn't an entity in itself, merely the term for the entire, well, everything.
And, on the topic of collapsing and right-amount-of-matter, the Laws of Infinity state that there is obviously infinite mass, and therefore, if it's expanding now (which I, personally, disbelieve), then it will expand forever. The infinity of matter is something that scientists tend to overlook for the sake of simplicity.

I always considered it as being a fixed amount of mass, but infintie space inbetween...

If your Universe "obviously" has an infinite mass, that's enough to convince me that we live in different Universes...

As an aside, Webster's online dictionary defines "Universe" thus:

u·ni·verse (yn-vûrs)
n.

1) All matter and energy, including Earth, the galaxies and all therein, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole.

2) The earth together with all its inhabitants and created things.
The human race.

3) The sphere or realm in which something exists or takes place.

Note that the widest definition is "all matter and energy", suggesting that time exists outside the Universe, as would any other dimensions which do not interact with matter. In the narrowest definition (3) multiple Universes are not merely valid, but appear inevitable...

Um, well, I'm not so sure that time is an entity in itself either. It doesn't have to exist, you know, I mean, it isn't a thing that we move through, it's a thing that moves - if it's a thing at all.
I really don't know how to express my theories here. I'd better finish the article on the Laws of Infinity.
Anyway, I, oh never mind.

Remember to post a link here when you're done - it's been a while since I investigated Cantor's diagonal slash!

*jumps into the time machine, to respond to something he heard while sitting at the desk a couple of hours ago, but was to proccupied with his notes.*

I think I would have to agree with E on this. If there were infinite mass, then at the big bang, there would have been an infinite amoung of gravitaional attraction. Thus it would have never expanded in the first place, I think that's how it would go anyways.

*jumps back into the time machine, taking several cheesy biscuits for the short trip back to his own time line*

*steps back into his time line*
Ahh.. feels good to be back.
*munching on cheesy biscuit*

Cantor's diagonal slash? Would you care to elaborate on that one? Strangely that is something that I have not come across as of yet. Wow, no I feel really lost.

*sits back down at his desk, fighting insomnia, drinking some tea, and eating cheesy biscuits.*

*walks in stoned off his ass

Hmm.... push to dispense liquid

*proceeds to push button another 1,000,000,000 times... starts drinking immediately without heading to the taste till after about 10 cupfull when he realizes it's tea, and starting to reflood the lab.

"Oh Shit tea makes me fart!"

*Lets a big one rip.... starting a mass fire from the bunson burners which are still lit. But the flames are quickly quenched by the rising level of the tea. Finds an inflated raft lying in the corner of the room and jumps in, seeing a package of cheesy biscuits, starts eating as he's got a bad case of the munchies as he watches the room being ingulfed in a pool of tea.... HOT TEA!!!!

Gurgle, gurgle .

Time is how we define the universe's movement, and our own.

If the universe had infinite mass, the only thing it could do as a singularity would be implode.

-jb

Cantor's Diagonal Slash is a simple proof that there is more than one size of infinity...

"Infinity" is usually thought of as "that value which can never be exceeded", but Cantor produced this thought experiment to show that there was an infinity greater than our general perception of infinity. He referred to "common" infinity as "Aleph Null", and this "greater" infinity as "Aleph One"... Proof to follow in my next posting...

Right, a few ground rules - any future references to "infinite" or "infinity" in this posting refer to "Aleph Null" or "Mundane" infinity, unless otherwise stated. The proof assumes an infinite area to work in, an infinite number of cards with "0" printed on one face and "1" printed on the other, infinite time (and patience) to perform the experiment, and a fundamental knowledge of binary arithmetic...

The initial premises are:
(1) Every positive integer has a corresponding binary representation, and

(2) There are an infinite number of positive integers. (i.e. you can always add one at the end of the list!)

On this basis, the experimenter takes the pack of cards and arranges them in rows showing the binary representation of each integer, starting from zero (0000...) to an infinite number of binary digits' precision. When done, there are an infinite number of rows, each one representing a single positive integer, to an infinite degree of precision.

So, at this stage, every positive integer HAS to be listed, right?

Right?

Well...?

Cantor suggests that you now start at the top-left corner (with the least significant "bit" being at the left-hand side) and, following a 45 degree diagonal, form a binary number by taking each card you pass over and turning it over. You still end up with a representation of a positive integer, so the number should appear in the original list, right?

Well....

The first bit is different from the first number in the list, so it can't be THAT one, the second bit is different from the second number, so it can't be THAT one, the third bit is...

and so on - it is a valid integer which does not exist in the infinite list of all valid integers!

Cantor suggests that it belongs to a larger infinite list, and names this "size" of infinity "Aleph one".

Who says you never learn anything here?

Now, where do I apply for a grant to buy an infinite number of "0-1" cards...? And EXACTLY how big is the Great Hall???

hey, thanks peet. I was confused but not any more.
*gets up from his seat at the desk and heads over to the great hall*
Have fun everyone, and no more tea, _please_
*returns sign to door 'Free for all experiments, especially those on monkey calling'*

*wanders over to Engles time machine, and uses it to travel back in time to a minute or two before mad-dog come into the room, and breaks the tea machine before mad-dog can use it it* there... *goes back to his own time line and sits down, all quite a feat considering he is still cross-eyed*

*Finally comes to relize that he's been knocked out for the past couple of days, wakes up and shoes the monkeys off of his face*
Hey guys.... what happened, where's the notebook? Did I miss something? why is the Tea Machine broken? Remind me never to knock myself out again. *stands up and looks at the equations written on the board* uuuuggggg *walks over and erases it all* At least now we can all keep our vision in tact, Dodge I'm looking in your direction.
*goes to see what else he has missed in the last couple of days* Well I see Engels started to do some 'work'.

*goes back in time, before Joe broke the tea machine, presses the button 10000000 times, goes back to his own time line, and breaks the time machine. * Oh no... we're flooded again

*goes back in time (whilst wondering how anyone else did it because he is the only person who can in the Known Universe), creates an invincible time shield around the tea machine, which only **he** can take away in **any** time, because it was created using his watch, which no one else can access. All experiments with tea and time are now ceased.*

And there was much rejoicing YAY

*looks around at all the confused time warped inhabitants of his lab.*
So, anyone up for chess? How about we try and figure out the probabbility that someone somewhere is playing chess. At this very instant.
*takes some notes about this*
This should be good.

What's the question? Lots of people know how to play chess. If we assign an arbitrary number to the percentage of chess players on the planet, say, 1%, that's still 60 million people. I imagine that somewhere, two of those people are playing chess. A more interesting question might be: What is the probability that someone is, right now, going to be checkmated in four moves by a first time chess player. That introduces some comlex variables.

-jb

Must the first time player also be a person? (As opposed to a computer or lab monkey...)

(The previous Peet shimmers and disappears. Seconds later, another Peet rushes in and slams the airlock door behind him, spinning the locking handles furiously as there is a loud rushing noise outside. This is followed by a *SPLOSH*, a *GURGLE* and a strong smell of bananas. A few drops of yellow liquid dribble through the door seals.)

Don't Panic! (pant) Nothing to (pant) see! Just go (pant) about your business!