Is the universe infinite? However, can we grasp with our minds the immensity of it? If it is so, how can we do it?

Humanity has had to calculate, find, and understand the word called universe. In their journey they have found the concepts of infinity, god, perfection, etc.

We tend to see the universe outward… Why? When we ask ourselves how big is the universe… a picture of space could come into our minds.

But, what is really the universe?

Wikipedia says,” The universe is defined as the summation of all particles and energy that exist and the space-time in which all events occur. Based on observations of the portion of the universe that is observable, physicists attempt to describe the whole of space-time, including all matter and energy and events which occur, as a single system corresponding to a mathematical model.”

Why do we define universe as something that exists as particles and energy in a space-time? We may do it because that is the way we process and live our daily reality, but is the whole universe ruled by time and space? Are there gaps somewhere not ruled by them? … Yes. In space, there are black holes...

There are new theories in which they say the universe had no big bang, but actually is always bouncing, expanding, turning, and contracting. This new way of seeing the universe may help us understand how this can be brought through analogies into the smaller scale, quantum or smaller.

How small is the smallest of the universe? Is there a limit? So, we have both lines of investigation... Is there a limit?

We have can have great journeys into trying to understand infinity by the micro and macro-world. If we can’t find the limit, then there are three possibilities:
• There is no limit,
• we haven’t reached it,
• or we are in need of learning
a lot more about what is a limit.

How can we know if there is a limit or not? I could say that it all now depends on our imaginations. Yes, but in a way that can make us be sure of the answer without going outer space.

Is imagination a part of us? Are we a part of the universe? If so, what we imagine is part of the vast universe. The problem here is that imagination cannot be measured as we tend to measure space and time.

You could say… imagination doesn’t count as a part of the universe. Then, some parts of ourselves are not part of the universe. So, if the scientific method has not found yet a way to say how big the universe is... There may be another alternative way!

Try it out! Explore a mandala by leaving aside concepts, and enjoy the infinity of it.

The right-brain is the one that can really tell us how big is the universe. Have we seen the universe inward? This means, not on the skies, nor in the smallest known particles, but inside of yourself.

We can do it by letting go our left-brain concepts… This means letting concepts aside, and explore the vast universe through imagination.

Doubts? More questions?
Is the universe endless? What do scientists say about this?
http://hubblesite.org/reference_desk/
http://www.physorg.com/news89399974.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/universe/howbig.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe

How far are the farthest galaxies we can see?
The most distant galaxies we can now see are approximately 10 or 12 billion light-years away.
How far and how is the bright star nearest to the Earth called?
25,000,000,000,000 miles away, and it is called Alpha Centauri

Credit for image: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration
Mandala image created by Lina Ru.