Obviously sound can travel through space; Voyager 1 has received interstellar sounds

Primarily because it HAS been validated by observation of Redshifted light, Background Radiation, and telescopic confirmation.

 

So...our Universe is everything. It's kind of flat and infinite in size growing at the SOL? If it is infinite then there can't be multiverses...only a single infinitely large universe that contains everything? And nothing can exist outside of the Universe since the Universe is everything...so there is nothing to expand into...it simply expands. None of this can be observed so it's all theoretical? Perhaps the answer can never be known...

 

Right now I'm liking the comments I wrote on post #152 in which there is a single Universe which is everything. I'm thinking because we have solar systems, which are inside galaxies, which are inside the Universe, I seem to be presupposed to thinking universes must then be inside of another larger system and perhaps this is nonsense. So I'm recalibrating my thoughts to accepting the idea of a single and infinite universe that represents everything...

 

The more I read and think about this I don't think the Universe is creating anything...it simply is everything. If there is anything outside of our Universe, since our Universe is infinite, then it must be part of our Universe...

 

Well, there can be other dimensions.

Science doesn't have equipment to test for other dimensions.

 

That is as valid a hypothesis as any. Anything beyond our observation and experimentation abilities is speculation and hypothesis. Mine involves the continuous expansion ending in another singularity resulting in a new Big Bang and universe. One of many Universes (Dimensions, Branes...whatever) that exists within "That Which Is".

 

The universe is just a big computer simulation.

 

I'm pretty darn sure there is no evidence of that.

But, hey, go for it if you like.

 

What? I need evidence?! I thought this was the Internet?

 

It can be infinite and there be an infinite number of universes. You need the math which I don't have.

 

It's the fun...or frustration...that there can be lots of theories. What I find most amazing about all of it is the size which to most people is unfathomable. Can't imagine we would ever have the equipment to test for all that exists...

 

I guess it helps to know about all that exists and why but it's unlikely we will ever know...

 

Yes, the size is absolutely crazy.

Like our sun, our two Voyager spacecraft are headed out to circle the galaxy every 200 million years.

In that time, there is essentially zero chance that any of these three objects will approach another star.

 

In today's news; http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/01/us/voyager-1-thrusters-fired-first-time-since-1980/index.html

 

Amazing story!!

As for the the size of space (from your link):

 

This helps explain why humans may never travel these distances. And how much higher speed can we actually obtain without discovering some new physics of the Universe? Even if we double and triple current speeds the distances remain unfathomable...

 

Absolutely. And, the current methods of acceleration we have (like ion drives) would require a large amount of time to gain speed and then a large amount of time to slow down again - given that we don't just want to rocket on into oblivion like Voyager.

 

Has anyone considered that objects...even small ones... could destroy a spacecraft? And they may not be seen or predicted ahead of time.

 

The ISS gets moved from time to time to dodge space bits.

There are pictures online somewhere of windows cracked by tiny bits of debris.

I don't know what the general public thinks, but those who follow space see this as a gigantic problem.

 

This is under constant consideration and cannot be avoided even though EXTREMELY unlikely.

 

Interstellar or even deep space travel is more concerned with cosmic ray and other radiation damage as collision is so incredibly unlikely.

 

True. But, our travel is almost all around earth, so that's what gets the lion's share of the concern.

Maybe I misinterpreted the question to be more about that.


We've had to move the Hubble telescope, the ISS, etc., in order to be sure they don't get smashed.

Space is big, even just around earth. But the space folks are tracking more than 20,000 objects that are 10 cm or larger in earth orbit.

Given their speed, a collision could be catastrophic.

 

Agreed....the space around our planet is polluted very badly (par for the course with us) and impact is far more likely.

 

Because of humans, acceleration and deceleration can't go beyond the G-forces humans can handle. Once the ship is up to speed no problem. But to trek vast distances, at speeds of 100K-200Kmph or higher, we'll need a drive system that does not depend on large payloads of fuel...we don't yet know what this might be? This issue always brings me back to the position that either there is some new physics awaiting us that can allow humans to move at very high speeds, or, we're relegated to close proximity of Earth...