Time is a human – and Sumerian – invention. Hence, the use of their Base-60 system (eg, 60 minutes, 60 seconds). The relativity of Time (eg, Albert Einstein, James Clerk Maxwell, Quanta) makes you wonder about the relativity of Space.
Humans are unaware of the dimensions of our universe (eg, ball, cubicle, saddle, sphere). It’s important to realise that my examples only suggest absolute, constant and fixed shapes.
If Space would (also) be relative then our universe might have changing dimensions and thus changing shapes. Why would this not be possible??
Scientists claim that the universe has no centre or heart if and when their Big Bang theory would be valid (eg, source). The ageing of the Milky Way has been estimated at 12.8 billions of years. The age of the universe is estimated at 13.8 billions of years.
The above ages might suggest that the age of Earth (c.4.5 billion years) is somewhat “near” the centre (or middle) of the ageing of the Milky Way and/or the universe. Hence, the popular saying that the Milky Way resembles the heart of the universe.
Given the (alleged) ginormous size of the universe, we would not notice changing spatial dimensions within a lifetime, and perhaps never. Those changes would typically occur at the boundaries of the universe; not at the heart. Usually, we call this phenomenon growth.
Human growth (eg, ageing, brain, body) is both relative in time and in space. Hence, it seems likely – at least to me – that the same growth principle could – and thus would – apply to the universe: relativity in Time and in Space.
Why would the growth of the universe be absolute (eg, duration, intensity, directional)? Our continued failure to measure the rate of the expansion of the universe (ie, the Hubble constant) is a clue – at least to me – that the notion of an absolute constant could – and thus would – be false.
Space Oddity (1969) by David Bowie
artist, lyrics, video, Wiki-artist, Wiki-song
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise.
UPDATE:
Scientific American, 31 May 2024: “The shape of the universe may be much more complex than anyone thought.”
Also see:
- The American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 2014: The Universe Is Stranger Than We Thought;
- NASA, 2020: Universe’s Expansion May Not Be The Same In All Directions;
- the Guardian / the Observer, 8 June 2024: “scientists wonder if the universe is like a doughnut“;
- Science News Explores, 27 June 2024: The shape of our universe may be complex — like a doughnut.
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