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Originally Posted by sanddrag
Let's think about this. How in the world (haha, maybe "world is not the right word") , er, what could possibly be making the universe expand at an accelerating rate. To have acceleration you must have force (as far as we know). Gravitational force is really the only thing big enough to move plantes and the such right? But masses have attracting gravitational force which would infer that the universe should be negatively accelerating and eventually reverse and get smaller and ultimately collapse back on itself. So what could possibly be providing the force allowing it to expand (and at an accelerated rate)? Is there a group of even larger masses beyond the universe whose gravity is pulling our universe apart? Perhaps some sort of increidbly large electromagnetic force of some sort?
Also, we talk about how the universe started about 16 billion years ago. It is so funny to talk about things like the universe (which is far as we know is EVERYTHING that exists) in terms of time units from Earth. I wish scientists would develop some sort of univeral time unit for all throughout space, but I have no idea how that would work. Especially when you get into time warpage and stuff like that.
Last, does anyone believe that sending life to other planets could be potentially damaging to our own in the long long run? I don't think you'd want to start life on nearby planets. I'm thinking War of the Worlds but like for reals. What if in 5 billion years they come to attack us (given that we are still here) and destroy us? I think if we plant life in the universe then we should send it really far away. Also, I think we should be able to monitor it, but not leave and evidence as to where it came from. I'm thinking that one day if two intelligent life forms from different planets interacted, it would have very violent results.
For starting life elsewhere, I had once heard something about how the ice caps on Mars could be melted to produce C02 which would warm the planet to make it much more suitable for life. They said something if the technology was available to do it on that large of a scale, it would only take about 20 years to complete. I forget exactly how they thought it could be done though.
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we have already measured the rate of expansion, and the universe is expanding faster than (for lack of the exactly correct expression) the universal escape velocity. The matter is already expanding out faster than gravity can pull it all back together to make it collapse back in on itself
I dont want to delve into a discussion on how its possible that this expansion is accelerating - physicists dont have a good answer, and neither do I. It is an interesting subject, and theres lots of information out there.
Regarding the dangers of interstellar exploration and colonization, I had considered this as a possible reason why we might have come here from another star system, and decided to erase the tracks as it were.
If our species had a violent history on our previous planet, we might have decided to break the link between the colonies - to keep one from turning against the other
but I tend to think if we are able to pull together as a species to organize something as complex as interstellar travel and colonization, that we would also be able to learn to live with each other, here and everywhere else we travel.
And then there is always the chance that we will send a probe or starship to another system and discover it is already inhabited, that they dont appreciate the intrusion, and they are able to trace the trajectory of the vessel back to its origin and come after us. It is possible, but the whole point of my message is that, based on what science is telling us, its very unlikely that any lifeforms are out there at all.