147: Chapter 147: The Universe is neither a sphere nor a sphere, neither cloth nor cloth

The data and charts on the tablet display—

In our universe's three-dimensional space, on a large scale, its curvature is almost zero.

At this moment, the viewers couldn't help but be curious.

"What does that mean, the universe has no curvature?"

"It means exactly what it says: the universe is flat."

"Holy crap, the universe is flat?"

"That's not right. Aren't the planets and galaxies we see all spherical? That's the most stable structure. How could the universe be flat?"

[Student from Magic City Physics Academy:] "Simply put, the flatness of the universe refers to the shape of space itself—like an infinitely large, elastic rubber membrane. Although three-dimensional planets are drawn on the membrane, the membrane itself is flat; it doesn't have the curvature or bending of a spherical surface."

[Student from Yangcheng Physics Academy:] "Exactly!"

"I get it. It's like building a round house on flat ground. The house is round, but the ground is flat."

"So the universe is a piece of cloth, or a membrane?"

"I don't get it, but it sounds impressive!"

At this moment, inside the Principal's office.

Physics teacher Old Yu said with some surprise: "Correct, that's exactly it. No curvature, or rather, no measurable curvature. The latest cosmic microwave background radiation observations have extremely high precision, and the results all point to the same conclusion: the space of our universe is shockingly flat!"

Old Wang looked bewildered, "If the universe is a flat plate, why haven't we fallen off? I mean the Earth, of course!"

"Your question right now is just like the ancients asking why they didn't fall off the Earth two thousand years ago." Old Yu looked at Old Wang, speechless. "This flatness refers to the flatness of space itself. It's like an infinitely large, elastic piece of plastic wrap—all the planets and galaxies are just little trinkets stuck to this membrane."

"And right now, this membrane itself is being stretched uniformly in all directions, growing larger. This is cosmic expansion."

"But the membrane itself hasn't rolled into a ball or caved into a bowl. We are on the membrane, moving along with it, so of course, we won't fall off."

These words left Principal Fu, Xiao Wang, Old Wang, and the others lost in thought.

For Professor Ouyang and the others from the physics department at Huaqing University, this was all very basic, yet correct.

...

In the living room, on the sofa.

Xiaoyu stared at the tablet and then looked up at Jiang Zhe, feeling her brain overheating. "No curvature, no arc—then isn't the idea that the universe is a circle or a sphere completely wrong?"

She scratched her head vigorously, her face full of confusion. "But the Big Bang model, combined with the fact that there are spherical celestial bodies everywhere in the universe—that feeling is so strong. Something explodes from the center and spreads in all directions; shouldn't the [boundary] it spreads to be like an ever-expanding spherical shell?"

"Why is the space itself measured to be flat?"

"This completely defies physics!"

Not only him, but even the viewers, whose thoughts had been clear, were left confused again by Xiaoyu's words. The chat was filled with [+1]s!

Xiaoyu was left unable to understand due to Jiang Zhe's words.

Jiang Zhe spoke unhurriedly: "Xiaoyu, I know your confusion. It's because there are spherical celestial bodies everywhere in the universe, and when combined with the Big Bang model spreading in all directions, this spreading shockwave makes you feel like the universe is a sphere. But after scientific testing, there is no arc and no curvature. The universe turns out not to be a sphere, which violates your perception."

"So it's very contradictory, right?"

Xiaoyu nodded repeatedly. "Yes, it feels counterintuitive. There's no curvature, yet it feels like it has the appearance of a sphere."

Not only her, but countless viewers and some experts felt the same.

Inside the residential compound, Professor Liu Guangyi also nodded in agreement: "Yes, it's a very contradictory feeling; sphere-like yet not. Unless..."

The three professors, Qian Mingyi, Professor Wang Shouren, and Professor Chen Runzhi, looked at Professor Liu Guangyi: "Unless what?"

Professor Liu Guangyi analyzed and gave an answer: "The entire appearance of the universe might not be the three-dimensional image we perceive. It might not just be a sphere, and not just a cloth; it might be a more complex [thing], and that [thing] might simultaneously include both [a sphere and a plane]?"

Professor Chen Runzhi couldn't help but roll his eyes at him. "You really have an imagination. Don't tell me you're going to say [the universe is a donut]?"

"Not that!"

Inside the screen, in the living room, on the sofa.

Jiang Zhe pondered for a moment. "Xiaoyu, what you are concerned about is simply [no curvature] and [feeling like a sphere]. Actually, your feeling is correct. Before measuring the shape of the universe, 90% of astronomers and physicists around the world believed that the universe was a very large [sphere]!"

"But in reality..."

Speaking up to this point, his lips couldn't help but curl up. "Actually, saying it is a [sphere] but has no curvature—that is also correct. Saying the universe is not a [sphere] is actually also correct."

He did not deny the views of Xiaoyu or previous physicists and astronomers.

In Jiang Zhe's view, sphere-like yet not is indeed correct!

Xiaoyu couldn't help but furrow her brows. "Then what on earth is it?"

"Big Brother already knows what shape it is. Wait until Big Brother finishes explaining the universe, and you will suddenly understand."

Xiaoyu and millions of viewers took a deep breath and began to listen with bated breath.

"Let's first review the three difficult points from just now—"

"1: The universe is accelerating in its expansion, and the speed of expansion exceeds three times the speed of light—it's as if something is preventing us from escaping the universe; because for intelligent civilizations, nothing can be faster than the speed of light."

He held up two fingers.

"2: On a large scale, the universe is flat, with no measurable curvature—it is like an infinitely extending, uniformly stretched piece of ink-colored starry cloth, or an extremely elastic, giant ink-colored membrane. This point can be simulated by [a pair of human eyes flying across the universe at the speed of light, at which point one would be able to see that the cosmic space is a piece of cloth]."

"It can also be said—in the [eyes] of light, the universe is exactly like this, which is the [ink cloth] measured by our scientific community."

Speaking up to this point, Jiang Zhe held up three fingers again.

"3: Outside the universe, there is something similar to a [shell]—it is uniformly pulling the universe to expand uniformly in all directions, an expansion exceeding the speed of light."

He paused for a moment and nodded slightly. "Now, you should know roughly what the universe looks like. It is an ink-colored cloth that has no curvature, makes you feel like it's a sphere, yet is expanding uniformly at over three times the speed of light—this violates the perception of everyone in the world except for physicists!"

Hearing this, the viewers sent barrages of comments.

"Yes, after listening to all that, it really does violate it."

"I feel like the universe might be something unidentifiable?"

"I feel like it's a donut, or a ring?"

"Don't guess anymore. Our Big Brother hasn't revealed the secret yet. We probably won't guess it right."

"..."

"So next..."

Jiang Zhe's words hadn't finished yet when he was urgently stopped by Xiaoyu. "Wait! Big Brother!"

Xiaoyu suddenly looked up, her beautiful eyes sparkling, seemingly with a sense of challenge.

"Hmm?" Jiang Zhe looked at her with some surprise.

"Perhaps..." Xiaoyu had a sudden inspiration, and her speaking speed began to accelerate. "I can use another idea you explained before—to refute the hypothesis you just mentioned about [there being a shell outside the universe uniformly pulling the universe itself]."

"Oh?" Jiang Zhe sat up slightly, a hint of interest appearing on his face. "Let's hear it."

Not only Jiang Zhe, but even millions of viewers sat up straight, listening quietly to Xiaoyu's wonderful idea.

Inside Qingfeng Temple, Zheng Ming sat up, his gaze sharp. He really hoped Xiaoyu could say something that would leave Jiang Zhe speechless.

On the sofa, Xiaoyu took a deep breath, and her speaking speed began to accelerate.

"I thought of this based on the paradox you mentioned before about [Xiao Ming going back to the past of the future to kill his grandfather]."

"In the conclusion you stated at that time, there were actually shadows of [time loops] and [universal cycles]."

Jiang Zhe nodded slightly, acknowledging it undeniable.

He didn't expect Xiaoyu to be able to grasp the metaphor in the conclusion. Very good!

Seeing Big Brother nod and praise her, Xiaoyu said even more excitedly: "If the universe eventually heads towards heat death, or a Big Crunch, and everything returns to zero; that [zero], that point of infinite density, will it explode again? Just like a universe reboot."

"What if, at this very moment, our universe is not the first cycle of the Big Bang?"

"Recursively going back to the first Big Bang of the universe, it produced a very fierce shockwave, pushing the universe to expand; expanding to the limit, then collapsing back, returning to zero, and then producing the second Big Bang!"

"And the second explosion must be stronger than the first. The shockwave it produces will quickly catch up to and push the expansion wave left over from the first explosion!"

She pointed in the air with her hands, drawing one circle, and then another.

"One Big Bang, two Big Bangs, three Big Bangs..."

"The vast universe is experiencing countless such cycles of cosmic life, death, explosion, and return to zero; every new Big Bang is fiercer than the previous one, and the shockwave produced is also stronger!"

"In this way, one wave pushes another—just like if I picked up stones, each larger than the last, and threw them into the same center point in a lake, the ripples on the lake surface would layer one on top of another!"

"In this way, the universe doesn't need anything [outside] to pull it at all."

"Because its own death and rebirth, time after time, is like circle after circle of constantly superimposing expansion thrusts, which can completely create the—continuous, accelerating expanding universe—that our scientists have observed!"

As her voice fell, the living room fell silent instantly, with only the sound of Xiaoyu's heavy breathing.

Jiang Zhe looked at Xiaoyu with a face full of surprise. Xiaoyu's face was flushed red, and her eyes were extremely fervent.

Of course, he wouldn't say...

This concept of yours, in my previous life, actually existed!

At this moment, the live broadcast room fell into a brief silence, and then an insane explosion of massive barrages of comments occurred.