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How old is the universe?

  • O-Trap
    I'm guessing somewhere between one second and 50 trillion years.

    I heard an interesting theory from a guest speaker mathematician once that the universe was "just under 2 minutes old."

    His theory was that while our memories and senses are essentially perceiving a longer amount of time than has actually taken place, the universe came into existence. It was in existence for a second. Then another half second. Then another quarter second. Then an eighth. Sixteenth. 32nd. 64th. 128th. 256th. 512th. 1024th. etc.

    His idea worked on the same principle as a half parabola that keeps getting closer and close to its destination without ever touching it, and each time it gets closer, the line (timeline in our example) between the two points gets longer and longer.
  • justincredible
    The concept of time is a complete mindfuck to me.
  • sleeper
    Between 6,000 to 10,000 years obviously.
  • Automatik
    sleeper;1385331 wrote:Between 6,000 to 10,000 years obviously.
    Yup, whatever the bible says. I'm going with that.
  • Devils Advocate
    A little older than sleeper's diatribe.
  • Laley23
    justincredible;1385330 wrote:The concept of time is a complete mindfuck to me.
    I concur.

    I cant wrap my head around that type of thing (time, space, etc.). I love to think about it, but then I just get mindfucked.
  • O-Trap
    justincredible;1385330 wrote:The concept of time is a complete mindfuck to me.

    I always thought this was fun: If we were to look at this moment in time as a point on a line (not a ray or a line segment), and the line in either direction as infinity past and infinity future, we could never reach this point in time, or ANY actual point in time.

    Or, numerically, it would be like starting at negative infinity and trying to count to zero. It cannot be done.

    Infinity in the light of time is a motherfucker.
    sleeper;1385331 wrote:Between 6,000 to 10,000 years obviously.

    I don't think I know anyone who thinks it's under 20,000.

    I personally think it's 13.X billion, but I like the study of the concept of time.
  • sleeper
    O-Trap;1385342 wrote: I don't think I know anyone who thinks it's under 20,000.

    I personally think it's 13.X billion, but I like the study of the concept of time.
    http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2680/nearly-half-the-u-s-population-believes-the-earth-is-less-than-10-000-years-old

    About 50% of Americans believe it is.
  • Heretic
    Older than time itself.

    Mind = blown.
  • sleeper
    Heretic;1385346 wrote:Older than time itself.

    Mind = blown.
  • O-Trap
    Well then ...

  • LJ
    justincredible;1385330 wrote:The concept of time is a complete mindfuck to me.

    This. The studies of perception of time in young people vs old people is a mind blower too. 1 minute is a longer portion of a 10 year old's life vs a 50 year old's life, therefore the 10 year old perceives that minute to last longer than the 50 year old.
  • justincredible
    Laley23;1385338 wrote:I concur.

    I cant wrap my head around that type of thing (time, space, etc.). I love to think about it, but then I just get mindfucked.
    LJ;1385354 wrote:This. The studies of perception of time in young people vs old people is a mind blower too. 1 minute is a longer portion of a 10 year old's life vs a 50 year old's life, therefore the 10 year old perceives that minute to last longer than the 50 year old.
    Yep. Now get high and think about it. Double mindfuck.
  • OSH
    Don't really care. We will never know anyway.
  • O-Trap
    OSH;1385374 wrote:Don't really care. We will never know anyway.
    Many think we already do.
  • Commander of Awesome
    Multiverse membrane theories always blows my mind.



    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=multiverse-the-case-for-parallel-universe

    Also this will blow your mind, scale of the universe.

    http://htwins.net/scale2/
  • O-Trap
    Commander of Awesome;1385381 wrote:Multiverse membrane theories always blows my mind.



    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=multiverse-the-case-for-parallel-universe

    Also this will blow your mind, scale of the universe.

    http://htwins.net/scale2/
    I love multiverse theory. I actually do subscribe to it to some degree.
  • sleeper
    OSH;1385374 wrote:Don't really care. We will never know anyway.
    Never is a long time.
  • O-Trap
    sleeper;1385394 wrote:Never is a long time.
    Well-played. :D
  • Heretic
    justincredible;1385366 wrote:Yep. Now get high and think about it. Double mindfuck.
    Believe me, I do. Every damn day.
  • Dr Winston O'Boogie
    Commander of Awesome;1385381 wrote: Also this will blow your mind, scale of the universe.

    http://htwins.net/scale2/
    Very cool model.
  • OSH
    O-Trap;1385375 wrote:Many think we already do.
    And many are wrong.
    sleeper;1385394 wrote:Never is a long time.
    Link?
  • sleeper
    OSH;1385411 wrote: Link?
    &#8734; <- The only "link" you need.
  • TedSheckler
    14
  • Dr Winston O'Boogie
    Eleventy Billion