Our universe is vast and mysterious. Human curiosity has always propelled us to understand the true nature of reality in which we exist. We have discovered not only our own limitations to peer through the reality but also the limitations inherent to the universe itself!
The universe’s own constraints
The universe is governed by laws. At cosmic level, we are at the mercy of the physical limits of the Universe. We are contained in a system which has it’s own limits. Though we are far from reaching the limits, there is a point beyond which the physical laws of our universe stop us from going further.
The cosmic speed limit
The information in any form cannot travel faster than the speed of light in vacuum. The magical value is 299792458 m/s which is commonly denoted as “c”. No matter how technologically advanced we become, we are always bounded by this speed limit.
Quantum Uncertainty
At subatomic level, we cannot simultaneously measure below pair of properties with the same accuracy. The more accurately we know one property, the less accurately we can know the other.
- Position and Momentum
- Time and Energy
- Angular Position and Angular Momentum
This is known as Heisenberg’s uncertainty Principle.
The Event Horizon
An event horizon is a boundary around a black hole from which nothing can escape, not even light! The enormous gravity of a black hole warps the space-time in such a way that it makes it impossible to observe what happens beyond the event horizon.
Cosmic Expansion
The universe itself is expanding at an accelerating rate. This implies that objects that are currently beyond a certain distance from us will never be observable due to the expanding universe. This observable cosmic boundary can also be called as Cosmic event horizon.
Planck Length
It is the smallest unit of length that can be meaningfully measured. It is a fundamental length scale that arises from the combination of quantum mechanics and general relativity.
The value of Planck length is 1.616 x 10^-35 meters.
It represents the scale at which quantum gravitational effects become significant.
Planck Time
Just like Planck length, Planck time is the smallest unit of time that can be meaningfully measured. It is a fundamental time scale that arises from the combination of quantum mechanics and general relativity.
The value of Planck time is 5.391 x 10^-44 seconds.
It represents the scale at which quantum gravitational effects become significant.
Limitless!
These limitations by our cosmos defines our existence. On a gloomy day they might make you feel stuck. But like in all stories, in the story of our universe, there is a ray of hope. With so many limitations, there is one limitless feature that the Universe has gifted us – our Imagination!
Honorary mentions
Entropy Increase
Entropy is the measure of disorder. As time progresses, the increasing entropy principle suggests the irreversibility of the processes. This is also known as The Second Law of Thermodynamics – the entropy of a closed system always increases.
It has got an honorary mention because it would be an oversimplification to conclude our universe to be a closed system.