Is the universe symetrical?

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   andrew savageposted 11 years ago

   Is the universe symetrical?
   
   Is the universe so symetrical that there is another Milky Way- another Solar System, another Earth on the exact opposite side of the universe?

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   lumen2lightposted 11 years ago

   Brain teaser! Symmetry implies a uniform arrangement with two sides being similar, but before we could identify any symmetry we would need to know the shape and boundaries (if the universe had a shape or boundaries) and all that lay within.
   
   I would have to say the universe is not symmetrical, however the possibility of another milky way (or a band of close proximity stars, planets and solar systems) is likely.
   
   There are other solar systems out there, according to NASA, there are a number of stars, alive and dying, that have planets circling them.
   
   As for Earth, there is a strong possibility of a planet similar in size and at the right distance from its sun that is home to animal and plant life forms.
   
   There is even a stronger possibility of many planets that contain plant and animal life forms. Unfortunately our scientists only seem to look for ones similar to ours that could sustain life in the forms we have on earth.
   
   Considering the diversity of both animal and plant life on earth, one needs to expand the mind to consider the possibility of life being able to withstand grater or less gravitational force, to breath in an atmosphere that is not predominantly Nitrogen and Oxygen or to survive in extreme temperatures.
   
   Good question.

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   jonnycomelatelyposted 11 years ago

   Most interesting question.   By "exact" opposite, what parameters are you using?  Would it have to be exact by the millimeter, the kilometer, or the light year?
   
   I am being pedantic, but only in fun.
   
   If the geometry of our life form is anything to go by, the same set of consequences could have had the same results elsewhere in the universe.

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   scottcgruberposted 11 years ago

   Short answer: no. The universe - or at least the observable portion 13.7 billion light years around us - is not symmetrical. It's actually quite clumpy.
   
   Galaxies are not evenly distributed, but are grouped into filaments and sheets and superclusters, separated by gigantic voids of empty space billions of light years wide. There is no overall symmetry to this structure - it is more or less random, shaped by gravity.
   
   As for the second part of your question, there's a practical answer and a mathematical one. Practically, there is probably not a duplicate Sun and Earth in a distant galaxy that is an identical twin of the Milky Way. The chances against it are incredibly slim.
   
   However, in a truly INFINITE universe, it is also a mathematical certainty that there is a duplicate Earth, down to the minutest detail. This is similar to the thought experiment of the infinite number of typing monkeys producing the complete works of Shakespeare. By the definition of infinity, it is a statistical certainty that there is a duplicate Earth with a duplicate me typing this answer right now.

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   lburmasterposted 11 years ago

   From my observations, yes. Everything is in a cycle. It works pretty smoothly.

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   A.Villarasaposted 11 years ago

   The universe, may not be symmetrical, geometrically speaking, but it is balanced enough as expressed in that most elegant  of equations E=mc2... to allow for its continued expansion and sustainability as the repository of life itself.

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      lumen2lightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      AV, E=MC2 is based on the constant ‘C’ being the speed of light on Earth.
      Perhaps a distant sun with a different mass consisting of gasses other than Hydrogen and Helium produces light with a different wavelength and speed. Then what?

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   1701TheOriginalposted 11 years ago

   When we look at the universe as a whole, we attempt to find anything that can be thought of as symmetrical. These clues reveal much about what is all around us. read more

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