# Physics question **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 7, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902 "2022-10-07T15:32:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/1 "2022-10-07T15:32:31Z")
If an object were very large, say 1,000 light years across, and it was traveling through space and came across out universe, would it experience our universe as a so9lid object or more like a gas? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/2 "2022-10-07T15:41:48Z")
This object is somehow outside the universe? I don’t think that’s possible. If it exists, it’s “inside” the universe, and is “experiencing” it the same way as everything else. Unless I’m misunderstanding the question. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/3 "2022-10-07T16:13:04Z")
The object is outside our known universe. I guess I can’t comprehend our universe not having boundaries. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/4 "2022-10-07T16:14:57Z")
The “universe” is literally defined as “everything that exists.” There is no such thing as “outside” of it. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/5 "2022-10-07T16:15:13Z")
The universe is functionally infinite. The known universe (while still a big place) is much smaller. ---
**Author:** ![SlipperyPete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@SlipperyPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlipperyPete)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/6 "2022-10-07T16:20:55Z")
I think the question would make more sense if you said it encountered our galaxy. I think it would be like a car driving through a swarm of gnats. No impact at all, but we would surely get squished. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/7 "2022-10-07T16:21:23Z")
how fast is your object moving, and how dense is it? What’s its volume? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/8 "2022-10-07T16:30:50Z")
The object I had in mind would most likely be something that had entirely different physical laws and made up of some form of matter that would not even interact with ours. It would likely be traveling at billions of times the speed of light. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/9 "2022-10-07T16:33:02Z")
Travelling past the speed of light means it would arrive before it left. Pass C and cause and effect get all messed up. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/10 "2022-10-07T16:35:25Z")
If it doesn’t follow the laws of physics, then it’s not a physics question anymore. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/11 "2022-10-07T16:39:54Z")
Anything in our universe must follow the laws of physics. Minor Spoiler for The Gods Themselves By The Man With White Sideburns In that novel, a group of folks from a dimension with different physical laws take tungsten from our universe and replace it with a mineral from theirs. In their universe, tungsten is highly radioactive and makes a great power source. The mineral they give us is stable in their universe, but a highly radioactive power source in ours. You cannot enter our universe and somehow take the laws of your old universe with you. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/12 "2022-10-07T16:40:27Z")
That is very true, I guess it is just that simple. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/13 "2022-10-07T16:44:01Z")
It is impossible for me to comprehend anything that exists but is not physical according to our laws of physics beyond just thinking something might exist that is imperceptible to us. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/14 "2022-10-07T16:46:37Z")
I’m genuinely unsure what you’re saying her. Could you please clarify? As far as imperceptible, to an unaided observer most things cannot be perceived. Neptune and atoms for example. With aid, we can see much more. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/15 "2022-10-07T16:56:10Z")
I am just going to let this topic die, if I try to clarify I will be just making things up as I go. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/16 "2022-10-07T16:58:46Z")
> [@SlipperyPete](#): > > I think the question would make more sense if you said it encountered our galaxy. I think it would be like a car driving through a swarm of gnats. No impact at all, but we would surely get squished. Googling, our galaxy is about 100,000 light-years across, so this thing 1,000 light years across might impact parts of it but would largely leave the galaxy untouched. (Though there would be gravitational effect.) ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/17 "2022-10-07T17:02:27Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > You cannot enter our universe and somehow take the laws of your old universe with you. Probably true, but I can’t think of a way to scientifically confirm. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/18 "2022-10-07T17:49:19Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > The object I had in mind would most likely be something that had entirely different physical laws and made up of some form of matter that would not even interact with ours. It would likely be traveling at billions of times the speed of light. Sounds more like a metaphysics question, then. Not based in reality. Or at least not in our reality. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/19 "2022-10-07T19:12:50Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > > [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > > > The object I had in mind would most likely be something that had entirely different physical laws and made up of some form of matter that would not even interact with ours. It would likely be traveling at billions of times the speed of light. > > Sounds more like a metaphysics question, then. Not based in reality. Or at least not in our reality.   Kind of like the old question “can God make a rock so big they can’t move it?”. Now it’s “can God throw a baseball so big…?”. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2022, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902/20 "2022-10-07T19:49:19Z")
I don’t know much about baseball, but it seems to me that if the ball is bigger than the playing field the game becomes absurd. The batter could not possibly miss. The other players and the umpires would get crushed too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-question/972902.md?page=2)