Big Bang Theory or can we drop 'theory' now?

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

In a battle of the four fundamentals forces - being electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, and gravity - gravity will win every time. May take a while, but it will, and eventually the universe will collapse back upon itself.

Not necessarily. You are assuming a universe that is essentially coasting. That does not seem to be the case. As I posted above the "universe" has been shown to be accelerating.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Not necessarily. You are assuming a universe that is essentially coasting. That does not seem to be the case. As I posted above the "universe" has been shown to be accelerating.

Nope. I am assuming a universe that is not accelerating as quickly as it once did. From what I've read, over the next several billion years, the acceleration will continue to slow to a point where it is not accelarating any longer, and gravity will take over, leading to the "big crunch".

[Alex]

Big Crunch or Eternal Expansion have been the question for a couple decades now but the recent evidence is pointing towads Eternal Expansion and figuring out where the energy for that is coming from is a new Big Question.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Nope. I am assuming a universe that is not accelerating as quickly as it once did. From what I've read, over the next several billion years, the acceleration will continue to slow to a point where it is not accelarating any longer, and gravity will take over, leading to the "big crunch".

Fair enough, but how about this..

You are also assuming that there are no outside influences acting on what us puny humans think is the universe.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Fair enough, but how about this..

You are also assuming that there are no outside influences acting on what us puny humans think is the universe.

Oh, I agree....I'm not thowing in any of my personal religious beliefs into this whatsoever, as that would certainly take it a bit off topic. Trust me - both in the supernatural realm and in the natural realm there is WAY too much that we have no clue about to make any sort of theory that will last longer than the next important discovery will allow it to. In that way, I agree with ISM wholeheartedly.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I agree with ISM wholeheartedly.

I'm going to be using this, completely out of context, for the forseeable future.