Eight and Counting - To Infinity (and beyond)

"The Truman Show" (1998)

Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:3

Marcus Du Sautoy in his 'Brief History of Mathematics' describes a young Georg Cantor at school being asked by his teacher "What is the largest number in the world?"  Cantor shouts out "A Trillion Billion!" 

"What about a Trillion Billion and One?" retorts the teacher.  "Well, I was close" replies Cantor.  He went on to make the study of infinity his subject.

Infinity hurts the brain.  The Greek agreed with this had it banned.  

Current models of the universe describe an expanding universe following 'the Big Bang'.   This means that the billions of galaxies we can see (or sense) are expanding out into space.  Is there an edge to space? What would it look like.  I am remined of Truman, in the film called 'The Truman Show', sailing out across the ocean until he hits the side of the film set, and realises he has been living in a cage all his life. 

In the past this was the 'Atlantic Ocean'.  What happens when you sail across it into infinity? 

It is actually impossible to hold infinity in our heads (hence banning it.)  For me, infinity is not the creator, just as the sun is not the creator, but it does help us understand that we are small players in a mightily world, and there might just be one who does hold things together in the palm of a hand.