As my students are settling into their spotlight research papers I find myself wondering what I am learning/growing from here in life right now. The answer is: very little. Among the many changes I am working towards in my life a big one–a vibrant one–is making the ol brain kick back into high gear. For example, today I was thinking about the elasticity of the universe. The idea came to me because I was first thinking about balloons popping. Often the universe is compared to a balloon–either as a two-dimensional construct upon which all of known space is printed or the outer shell which we all reside within. This second theory sparked the balloon question. It goes like this: If the stuff inside of a balloon continues to expand, will it eventually stretch the skin of the balloon to the point of popping?
We know that everything inside the balloon is expanding, so the question becomes relevant. It is also relevant to consider what is outside the shell and what the shell is made of. All of this relates to the concept of space/time. We know that Time is at least partially tied to the concept of gravity, through the concept of Gravitational Time Dilation. Given this theory, how does time exist outside of the universe…. or does it?
Perhaps immortality isn’t just a concept but a certainty.
Some Thoughts:
- It occurred to me that the numbering problem is not solved by version 2 of the blog. In fact the string of numbers is only made longer by the introduction of the 2. While not an immediate concern, this too falls on the back burner.