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9 - Infinity and the Nostalgia of the Stars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2011

By
Marco Bersanelli
Edited by
Michael Heller  and
W. Hugh Woodin
Marco Bersanelli
Affiliation:
University of Milan, Italy
Michael Heller
Affiliation:
Pontifical University of John Paul II
W. Hugh Woodin
Affiliation:
University of California, Berkeley
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Summary

The word “infinity” immediately evokes a sense of vastness. Since ancient times, human imagination has been invited to the idea of infinity by the immense landscape of the universe. The beauty of the firmament and the mystery of what lies beyond have always attracted the most brilliant minds. Generations of philosophers, theologians, and scientists have been challenged by the simple and inevitable question: is the universe finite or infinite? In recent times, scientific cosmology has translated this age-old problem into a rigorous mathematical language and has pointed to a set of astrophysical observations that are useful in addressing this issue. Hence, today we ask, what experimental data can help us to approach – if not answer – the question of the finiteness or infinity of the universe? If an answer has not been obtained, do we have a hope that deeper observations and more advanced theories may help us reach a conclusion in the future?

The meaning of the word “infinity” needs to be carefully understood in the different contexts in which it is used. The infinity of mathematicians is related to, but not the same as, the infinity of physicists and cosmologists. When we refer to infinity in a metaphysical discourse, we normally mean the object of human longing for what is ultimately true, beautiful, just – a reality quite distinct from the notion of a physical or mathematical quantity that takes on an infinite value.

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Infinity
New Research Frontiers
 , pp. 193 - 217
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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