what is the purpose of the universe?
921929
it is difficult to exist without it.\n\nIt sounds like one of those overanalyzed philosophical bs topics. It is as if there was a choice as to whether the universe should exist or not. It is not a debate, just as death is not a debate. It is...just is. \n\nOne could argue that God is he source of the universe or perhaps that it preceeded Him. We don;t know and frankly, it isnt that important to spend such an effort over...just as the discussion of death is kinda pointless...it just is. \n\nWhy not spend the effort discussing topics that make a diffeence? Stem cell research, nuclear power for a cleaner environment, the morality of killing terrorists (OK, I threw in an easy one)
38141
why? what is the objective?
350273
Let´s contemplate no God:\nGod does not exist, so the universe is only a random and everlasting energy and matter transforming process, we are a tiny piece of matter which exist only because of a random event and we are only waiting for another random event to stop existing ( I meant: to transform into another thing ), then the universe and us have no goal or reason to exist.\n\nI don't like it.......God forbid!
827966
LeAnne has a very good answer - however, I think the final frontier is to determine a Grand Unified Theory. With the solution to "everything", it wouldn't be much of a step further to explore parallel universe, different realities and worlds, time, the Big Bang, etc.\n\nI think the the Grand Unified Theory would give us the ability to explore, and answer, all questions regarding everything cosmological and would go a long way to answer some theological and philosophical questions.\n\nNo fear, however, I believe that humans, as a species, will self-destruct (and probably most other species on earth) before the GUT is developed.
275463
What purpose would it serve good or bad to do so???
807242
This universe is an event that occurs once and does not occur again.\n  Its existence or nonexistence has no relevance to anything but itself.\n   The big bang will not occur again!
995127
A thought I always ponder, not necessarily ' the meaning', but the destiny or the plan...\n\nMaybe we were a plan of the universe from the moment of its' creation in order to thwart its' inevitable demise billions of years from now.  The universe 'knew' it was going to create conditions likely for intelligent life to form in hopes that one day that  life created would come to grips with the workings of universe and space to the point that it wolud figure out a way for it to exist forever.\n\nTherefore the meaning of an individuals life is to add to the progression of society in anyway.  In other words, do what you like to do that contributes.  It could be something as trivial as smiling at everyone you meet.
52546
I'd say the purpose of life is to live it well, advance as a civilization, & keep it going.  That's what we're always trying to do.
626822
The Universe is expanding, but it doesn't have a phyiscal start, middle, or an end.  It's going to expand forever. Don't think about it, because it's not something our mind can really grasp.\n\nHere's an analogy that helped me:\n\nImagine the Universe as a two dimensional place.  The Universe is the surface of a rubber ball.  There's no start, finish, or middle.  As the Universe expands, the rubber ball fills with air.  Still no start, finish, or middle.\n\nFor a long time, it was unknown whether the Universe was open or closed, meaning whether the Universe would expand forever or eventually collapse back on itself back to nothing.\n\nThe hubble telescope proved that the Universe it open and would expand forever.
112156
The purpose of the internet is the free exchange of ideas.\n\nSpread the Gospel of God's Salvation for all!
3359
The answer depends on your religious and personal beliefs.  I personally believe our purpose is to improve ourselves and our loved ones in this life and the next.
958229
This is what everybody in science thinks is their ultimate goal.\n\nIt would be a theory of how the entire universe works where all the other ideas and theories about everythign all agree with each other and all fit together perfectly. This would range from the creation of the universe, how stars are formed, all the way down to sub-atomic physics. And chemistry, biology etc. \n\nSurely everythign in the whole universe is working according to the same rules?
626622
The universe is an indefinite entity.It is bounded by 'nothing' even in the strict sense of modern physics.
1088092
Many Christians often ask "why" rather than "how".  Even with all the facts that one could possibly obtain about the universe, even if scientific methods reveal exactly how the universe came into being and what caused actions and reactions to occur, there is still a nagging question of why any of this should exist.  It might be determined how the universe exists; e.g., random actions that culminated in what we observe now. But Science cannot satisfactorily answer "why" the universe "should" exist.  It can only point to how it came into being and how it exists and what forces and materials constitute it and manifest it.  The "why" question here is not a question of how it came to be, but what reason it should come into being.  Christianity is more concerned with the question of whether there is something behind the reason for the universe existing, rather than the question of how the universe came into being.  Science cannot answer whether there is a reason for the universe existing.  On another note, do you notice that even scientists have to have faith--in science?  A scientist cannot verify or repeat all the experiments and observations ever claimed by all other scientists; a scientist has to trust that his community holds truth in high regard.  So even a scientist relies on the notion of faith.
540557
The benefit is that we would know that life in the universe is a process that can occur sponaneously (i.e. without divine intervention) and that we are not alone in the universe. This matters because this knowledge will help shape our "world view" and belief systems. We will need to re-examine and re-adjust our beliefs of our place in the universe. Hopefully, we would also start to look at ourselves as one people rather than many races, and many nations, and work together and learn to share the only place we call home in the universe.
185861
Universe in general is the area of everything including earth, solar systems, nebulas, black holes, galaxies etc are contained within. Everything that is observable to us(human) are so far within this universe. So maybe there are more but to human.. there is only 1.
51258
The Universe was created by an event known as the "BIG BANG" and has been increasing ever since.  There are many theories about what the universe will do in the future Ex. ever increasing, saddle shape, or will is contract and implode creating a massive black hole.\n\nVery cool and interesting stuff.\n\nCheck this site for more on the "BIG BANG"