I appreciate John Denker's insights into the nature of a cylindrical
universe. However, my fundamental problem remains: How is our
universe -- with, as it seems, an infinite amount of space --
consistent with a big bang?
Or rather: HOW AM I TO IMAGINE THE BIG BANG IN AN OPEN UNIVERSE?
I understand that I am asking a lot. (And, of course, I am asking it
of the whole list, not just of John.) But I can't think of many
questions that are more important to pursue.
Don't we need to have a mental image, however impoverished, of our
universe and its creation? Cosmologists have thoughtfully offered
models of this sort for centuries. But now it won't do to say,
"Think of the surface of an expanding balloon..."
It won't do because of two *apparent* facts:
1) The universe had a creation event
and
2) The universe is open.
I cannot imagine a balloon that had a creation event AND is now open
(... at least to the extent that I understand what "open" means).
Is the problem with my grasp of the facts ... or with my imagination?