Infinity in the real world: Does space go on forever?

MacGregor Campbell, consultant

It's an existential question most of us have probably pondered at some point: is space infinite? It's tricky to answer because there's not just one kind of infinity to consider. Even if the universe goes on forever, it may not be infinitely large. It could be bounded like the surface of the Earth, allowing you to travel indefinitely without ever finding an edge.

In this animation, we try to determine the size of space, and whether it could be never-ending. Although infinity is easy to imagine mathematically, in the real world it's harder to pin down. Perhaps the universe is just really big but has a finite size. And if it has an upwards limit, what about the opposite: can it contain things that are infinitely small? Is there a smallest possible length?

If you enjoyed this video, check out our previous animations that tackle, for example, the true nature of reality, or why there's no such thing as nothing.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/260d9c13/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cnstv0C20A120C110Cinfinity0Ein0Ethe0Ereal0Eworld0Edoes0Espace0Ego0Eon0Eforever0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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