# Prove the universe hasn´t ended

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 13, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710 "2002-08-13T16:28:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 17\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/21 "2002-08-13T18:42:37Z")

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Hey if you can keep the peace through war,  
then why can’t you have a fake reality?

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**Author:** ![boyohboy17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@boyohboy17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boyohboy17)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/22 "2002-08-13T18:57:13Z")

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What universe?

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**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/23 "2002-08-13T21:09:15Z")

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“Cogito ergo sum” or “Je pense donc je suis” in french (I think thus I am) as said by Descartes would be the first step.

However, I recall my philosophy teacher told us that there is a flaw to it and another possibility would be: IT thinks. (“Ca pense”)

However, both prove the existence of the universe from the point of view of the thinker.

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**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/24 "2002-08-13T21:14:24Z")

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Please come in.

Make yourself comfortable.

Now just relax.

So you think the Universe exists - how long have you had this delusion?

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/25 "2002-08-13T21:54:19Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by smiling bandit \*  
> \*\*I know that I exist. Nothing else can be absolutely proven to me. \*\*

Can it be _objectively_ proven to me that I exist? - seems pretty subjective to me.

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**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/26 "2002-08-13T22:04:04Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> I know that I exist. Nothing else can be absolutely proven to me.

To prove that you exist, you have to assume your conclusion. (How can you begin your proof without first existing?) And that’s a logical fallacy.

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**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/27 "2002-08-13T23:59:35Z")

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—To prove that you exist, you have to assume your conclusion. (How can you begin your proof without first existing?) And that’s a logical fallacy.—

And worse: it’s unconvincing!

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, who could _possibly_ have a greater motive to lie about the reality of his own existence than the defendant himself?”

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**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/28 "2002-08-14T01:03:58Z")

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I’m not entirely convinced I know what you’re talking about.

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/29 "2002-08-14T01:33:20Z")

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Objective reality exists, because a kick to the groin couldn’t possibly hurt so much otherwise.

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**Author:** ![JS\_Princeton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JS\_Princeton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JS_Princeton)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/30 "2002-08-14T01:36:21Z")

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I refute it thus! :stubbing my toe:

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**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/31 "2002-08-14T06:30:27Z")

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Cogito ergo sum!

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**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/32 "2002-08-14T06:58:14Z")

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The universe only existed for a micro second. When the big band occured it spewed out matter in such a way that it was arranged to give us the planets, the stars, ect. ect. As a matter of possibility it even distributed the matter in such a way that people were just made and not evolved. We only think we evoled because the matter in our brain was randomly put there that way; as is our memories of our first childhood crush and stuff like that. They didn’t actually happen we just think they did becuase for a split second thats how the molecuels in our brain were place.

Then finally after our split second is up; The mass of what caused all this in the first place will implode back on itself. only to explode all over again. only this time none of this will happen because the before mentioned was just a random occurance of events.

With infinity comes an infinite amount of possibilities.

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**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/33 "2002-08-14T07:57:36Z")

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I DID prove it. Prove that I didn’t.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/34 "2002-08-14T08:03:06Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by SHAKES \*  
> The universe only existed for a micro second. When the **big band** occured it spewed out matter in such a way that it was arranged to give us the planets, the stars, ect. ect…

So Glenn Miller is the creator?

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**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/35 "2002-08-14T10:05:53Z")

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I can prove the universe doesn’t exist:

“This statement is false.”

::looks around::

Well, I didn’t see the universe shatter into a googolplex of pieces at the incursion of an impossible statement. Based on this lack of shattering, we can conclude that the universe doesn’t exist (for something that doesn’t exist cannot be broken).

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/36 "2002-08-14T10:09:06Z")

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Ah, but that doesn’t necessarily validate the converse statement: “everything that does exist _can_ be broken”

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**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-universe-hasn-t-ended/123710/37 "2002-08-14T12:15:44Z")

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_Welcome to Milliways…_

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