Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 9/15/2005

Question
If, as is popularly believed, the universe was created by the big bang, is it not reasonable to assume that all matter will have been thrown away from the focal point of the explosion?

If so would there not be a huge void at the centre of the universe with all visible matter being at the outer extremities of that void and should we not be able to detect that void?  

Answer
Hi Chris,
The verisame question was asked to me by another person a few days ago.

Imagine the universe to be 4 dimensional balloon. The 3 dimesnional space is the surface of the balloon. And the space "inside" and outside" is actually the 4th dimensional aspect of it.

sort of 4 dimensional polar co-ordinate system. (some sort).

The "center" is actually "inside" the ballon, obviously not in the 3d space that constitutes the surface of the balloon.

coming back to mundane 3d space, the bang happened simultaneously in all space in an instant (whatever the physical dimensions of "all space" at that instant of time.

Consequently after 15 billion years..we still have an expansion that is almost isotropic! or by inference centreless!
(for a centered expansion is always anisotropic..has different directional properties)

So firstly set your understanding of the universe right..(dont worry i took my own time doing it).

in our space (3d) "every other thing" is receding from "every other thing" no matter where we look! (isotropy or sameness)

Jayen