Anyone into cosmology should read this one:

Originally posted by DeepThought
The analogy with rubber bands has some weaknesses. Space-time doesn´t get thinner or snap. For one thing space-time is static in the big rip scenario - what happens is that geodesics diverge from one another. Locally nothing moves faster than light, but because the geodesics diverge things can end up moving faster than light relative to one another be ...[text shortened]... get thinner or snap in this scenario either, it´s not like a rubber band in any material sense.

well, we kinda knew space time was not a rubber band and not held together by just spit and glue, either. Duct tape? has anyone considered duct tape?

Originally posted by PinkFloyd
Aha! The Universe episode I was refering to was just on the tube. The moderator pointed out that only one thing could break the law of speed limit of the speed of light, and that is the expansion of space itself. Apparently space can expand faster than the speed of light.

Now, what that means to physics, metaphysics, astrogation, or religion, I don't know. But it sure sounded cool.

Wow, what that means to the financial world is a direct analog to the mortgage market meltdown.

Credit and debt expanded faster than the speed of risk management or accountability, and the results appear to be both a contraction of space-time and a form of stasis simultaneously.

Originally posted by Scriabin
well, we kinda knew space time was not a rubber band and not held together by just spit and glue, either. Duct tape? has anyone considered duct tape?

You are right, duct tape is essential to the stability of the universe.

Originally posted by Scriabin
well, we kinda knew space time was not a rubber band and not held together by just spit and glue, either. Duct tape? has anyone considered duct tape?

Duct tape just doesn't expand when you want it, you need something more like speedo.