Warp wrote:
> Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
>> I always enjoyed thinking about such things. What if we really *are* in the 
>> middle of the universe, and it's not that space is expanding, but only that 
>> everything really is rushing away from us because it all started right near 
>> here? :-)
> 
>   What's the difference?

Well, if it was my way, we'd be special. Or at least in a special place.

If you assume we aren't in the middle, then the only reasonable conclusion 
is that space itself is expanding, i.e. that everything is the middle.  If 
we're actually in the middle, it's possible space is completely static, and 
everything is just moving away from the center, without any additional space 
being created between galaxies.  It kind of changes the whole viewpoint of 
the Big Bang. (Yes, I know it's nonsense, but think of it in a sci-fi novel 
kind of way.)  All of space already existed, then there was this big 
explosion right about where we are, and everything is still rushing away 
from that.

Or perhaps space isn't expanding, but since we're in the center, time is 
slowing down as you move farther away. The galaxies aren't red-shifted 
because they're receding, but because their time is actually running slower 
the farther you get from the center. Which, again, supports us as being the 
first species to have evolved to sapience, since we happen to be in the area 
of the universe where time is running fastest.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
  "How did he die?"   "He got shot in the hand."
     "That was fatal?"
          "He was holding a live grenade at the time."

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