Computer simulations carried out by astronomers from the University of Groningen in collaboration with researchers from Germany, France and Sweden show that most of the (dark) matter beyond the Local Group of galaxies (which includes the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy) must be organized in an extended plane. Above and below this plane are large voids. The observed motions of nearby galaxies and the joint masses of the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy can only be properly explained with this "flat" mass distribution. The research, led by Ph.D. graduate Ewoud Wempe and Professor Amina Helmi, is published in Nature Astronomy.
As i have said elsewhere, i regret mixing up the terminology, which frankly i am quite embarrassed about.
I am not refuting the knowledge that the universe expands. I was speaking on the common anecdote that “in the beginning there was nothing and then it exploded and thats how the universe began” which is how it was initially explained to me and what the majority of people seem to understand and take for absolute truth.
It’s ok, I attack these misconceptions as much for readers and browsers as to clear up anything for the commenters. I don’t mean to sound heavy, but too many people leverage common misconceptions into full-on anti-science conspirism.
The people who explain it like this need a good slappin’, it’s not at all accurate. In fact, it’s the opposite of what happened (as far as we know.)
what do you get when you compress an infinite universe? An infinite universe of compressed energy and matter.
The universe was in it’s early state, as far as we can surmise, infinite in density and mass, but it wasn’t “small” and we have no way to know what came before this state. But the short of it is, everything came into being from a state where everything was super dense and hot, then the space itself got bigger so the hot stuff started moving apart from each other. There was never “nothing” as far as we can tell.