Baniboy, on 12 April 2011 - 04:50 PM, said:
I think there is a semantics problem here. When you say "universe", it automatically contains everything (I think). So there can't be multiple everythings... Just correcting the words here. Correct me if I'm wrong.
No need to correct you, because you are not wrong.
The broad definition of
Universe is: "All matter and energy, including the earth, the galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole".
However, talking about semantics, if the starter of this topic had said "Can there be more than one
galaxyor more than one
solar system?" (which I assume is what he really meant to start a discussion about, especially when I see his words):
Quote
We have not gone anywhere outside our own solar system.
Yet some scientists, in which there is greatest among the greats Sir Einstien also, believe that there is more than one universe in which we can go by passing through a worm hole.
I think he would have left much more room for discussion.
Since galaxy and solar system are part of the universe, but by no means make up the universe itself as a whole, I think the scientists might have had a point for their hypotheses.
After all, we might have achieved a lot in exploring more and more of our own galaxy/solar system due to improved technology and knowledge, we are still only scratching the surface (and scratching it very lightly, I would even say).
So far, we have always learned there are 9 planets.
From Earth, five of those can be seen with the naked eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
The other three (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) become visible when we use a telescope.
This is, of course, only with the help of our (may I say) limited senses, and by means of (forgive me if this sounds a bit derogatory) low-tech equipment.
Attempts have been made to discover more detail regarding all this by means of rigorous research and the investment of billions of whatever currency in hi-tech equipment and the improvements thereof, and the training of human investigators.
Although considerable progress has been made in this field, it has never been proven that astronauts have reached any limit/boundary of our galaxy or solar system, nor has it been proven or disproven that such limits/boundaries exist.
Also, the most sophisticated machinery has thus far not reported any sort of border to a galaxy, or evidence that it has spotted any other occurences of things such as planets, stars, suns or even life outside our solar system (once again, due to that same reason it has not disproven there is nothing more out there).
Let us not forget, something that can't be seen or heard or felt does not automatically mean that something is not there/does not exist.
Scientists are well aware of the fact that, due to our limited knowledge, and the limited possibilities of our equipment (no matter how sophisticated) that they cannot be conclusive about the existence of other solar systems, planets (other than our 9 known ones) or life forms elsewhere in the universe. (This time I am using the word, because of the holistic approach).
However, I would like the answer to the question to the people who are much morespecialised than myself, and who are constantly being trained and train others themselves to find out things like those.
I just thought it might be interesting to add a few thoughts, and to point out that there might indeed be a semantic issue here, rather than a scientific one.