Do the Majority of Scientist Believe that the Universe Finite or Infinite?

Question

"the presently most popular shape of the Universe found to fit observational data according to cosmologists is the infinite flat model" -Wikipedia

"We now know that the universe is flat with only a 0.5% margin of error. This suggests that the Universe is infinite in extent" -NASA, http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/

"The current theoretical belief (because it is predicted by the theory of cosmic inflation) is that the universe is flat, with exactly the amount of mass required to stop the expansion ... [Recent observations] imply that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. If so, this strongly suggests that the universe is geometrically 'flat'" -http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question35.html

"Right now, the most widely accepted model supports that of a flat universe." -Universe Today http://www.universetoday.com/37351/shape-of-the-universe/

"it seems that the universe is probably flat." -Curious About Astronomy http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=62


HOWEVER many people here on Y!A seem to say otherwise. 

"Virtually no scientists make that claim. If they did, they would probably be marginalised and not succeed in participating fully in the scientific community. Science often makes claims without rational justification because of the nature of thought. However, the Universe is generally accepted to be finite and i can't think of any evidence for it being infinite." -grayure, lvl 7 Y!A user

"most physicists and cosmologists consider the Universe to be finite, but unbounded, something like the surface of a sphere like the Earth." -Erica S, Top Contributer

"The academics I have worked and studied with have generally agreed that the Universe is actually finite. I can't think of any who believe it is infinite" -Red Rose, Top Contributer

"Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers 200 years ago proved that the universe cannot be infinite in either time or space. That this is not better known is just another sign of the poor education most people get" -Tham153, Top Contributer

"If this universe were infinite it couln't also be expanding. Think about it: in what could an infinite universe expand? What Space would it be continuously taking up? That of Infinity that contains it? It itself would be Infinity.
 
(As it is, this universe is finite but expanding, and the further back you go the more finite it was, and the further forward you go the less finite it gets, but it can never be infinite. That which contains it is infinite, for if even that be finite, another space would contain it in turn - and how can space be contained within another space - it can only be the same, one, Infinite Space)." -Shades of Bruno, Best Answer

"Astronomers believe that the universe is finite because of Olber's paradox which is basically this - If the universe is infinite, every line of sight should end in a star, and that means that the sky should be ablaze with star light. But it isn't. The sky is mostly dark." -S, Best Answer

"Well, ..., the Universe is finite. It began as a finite singularity with finite mass, energy, and size. When it expanded and cooled down it's potential energy level diminished. The universe, however, has remained finite in mass and energy to this day." -Dig Quikly, Top Contributer


This is the ONLY Top Contributer I found who disagrees
"Most recent indications point to an infinite flat universe." -Zaghawa
And they had two thumbs down.

Alan · Accepted Answer

Do the Majority of Scientist Believe that the Universe Finite or Infinite?

99.999% say it is finite but unbounded

I did not read the rest it looked mostly to be an incoherent ramble

Anonymous · Answer

Firstly, we don't know if it is finite or infinite, and because we can only relate the the observable universe we can't know.  We do know that it started off as a point.  Olber's paradox is 200 year old logic and since relativity was discovered it has no bearing.  Also to the person that said "the universe is flat within 1% of accuracy-therfore it's not flat"  this is wrong.  What should be said is that No curvature of the universe has been detected and even if it is curved it will only be by a small amount.

Barney Google · Answer

There is a difference between a geometrically flat universe that is finite, and a universe that simply comes to an end.  Geometrically flat means there is just enough matter to counteract the expansion so that it comes to an equilibrium state and expand no more, neither shrink.
Space is NEVER flat, it is local and infinite in energy.  In terms of Time, there is not enough known about the nature of Time to prove the universe is either infinite or finite, with due respect to Olber.

? · Answer

I didn't read everything you wrote there. But if wikipedia says most scientists believe that it is infinite, I believe that is probably some old information that needs updating. As far as I can tell the majority of those "in the know" now consider the model of a finite, but unbounded, universe to be the most likely. Which is what I believe as well. As to the one answer you quoted saying the universe used to be "more finite" but as it expands becomes "less finite". LOL, that's hilarious. There's no such things as "more finite" or "less finite". Something can be finite, or infinite. There is no in between. A light switch is either on or off. There is no more on or less on. And if something is finite, it can never become infinite. Therefore would always be finite. As to the NASA quote saying the universe appears flat and "infinite". I think that's broken down into layman's terms. Saying infinite probably means finite yet unbounded. You could keep traveling in the same direction for infinity without hitting anything, so it kind of gives the appearance of infinite.

Anonymous · Answer

Finite

Your first quote, 'This suggests that the Universe is infinite in extent.'

Strange I don't see that quote in the link provided. On the contrary, the link seems to imply a finite universe. Quote; WMAP definitively determined the age of the universe to be 13.73 billion years old to within 1% (0.12 billion years) -as recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records!

How does that suggest an infinite universe?

They talk about the Cosmic Background radiation. A product of the beginning of the Universe.

It also says it is 1% of flat meaning it isn't really flat! So not really infinite.

Zardoz · Answer

This is what comes from ignorance of ,or ignoring, finite, closed, flat manifolds. At best you're equivocating, and there are clues we aren't dealing with the best. Such as your first, and only, quote containing the word "infinite" isn't on the page you direct us to. Didn't you check to see if your C&P quote mining was accurate?

The explanation is too long for YA. You need to go to a chat site. I fear your motive is contention. I'm sorry I'll miss it. I like contention.

amrik S · Answer

our universe is very much finite but our limitations are also finite. I mean we dont have any instrument to even see it or even recieve the waves comming from the other end.

uniontera6 · Answer

Uniontera number 6-1, hope it helps. (about Expansion)

Existence is the time expressed by light itself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjmOw1Pnc4s

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Do the Majority of Scientist Believe that the Universe Finite or Infinite?

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