the known universe

[Emperor Harkonnen]

my guess is that the known universe is only the galaxy we live in.

anyone with me on this?

[Caid Ivik]

We've already had one thread about this. However, solution wasn't found.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

yeah I think I remember me starting one about it. that was a long time ago, and I don't remember us discussing the possibility of this mere galaxy being the known universe

[Acriku]

What do you mean? Is this a reference to the Duniverse, or a follow-up of the previous thread?

[Vanguard3000]

Here's my theory based on using the Prequels (or, I suppose, the DE) as canon. I'll discuss spoilers here.

The central Imperium - the hustle and bustle, the hot spots, the... - is within our own galaxy. This is due to the FTL drives they used. In the prequels, these seem to be something like Star Trekkian warp drives, while the DE describes Hyperdrive-like tech, if I recall correctly. While making thing fairly fast, an intergalactic flight would still be thousands and thousand of years.

However, once the power of the Spice was revealed and the Spacing Guild was formed, the maximum practical distance-limit was extended infinitely. Heighliners can travel ANYWHERE in the universe in roughly the same time. As a result, I believe that there would most likely be things like outposts/research stations, and backwater planets in other galaxies by the year 10,191. Because these planets are so obscure, they aren't mentioned in the books, while stars that exist in our own night sky (i.e. Delta Pavonis; Canopus; Beta Ophiuchus) have been civilized for a longer time, and this have more "prestiege" and commonality with the rest of the Universe.

A speculative note:

Perhaps the Enemy from whom the Honoured Matres were fleeing were in fact people from pre-Jihad times, who used their "primitive" FTL drives to explore/colonize other galaxies. Any thoughts?

[Emperor Harkonnen]

well during the BJ only one galaxy was inhabited. Omnius sendt clones of himself beyond the galaxy I think was said in Legends of Dune. Those were probably the one they encountered when the navigator used artificial spice-

[Emperor Harkonnen]

never mind about that comment I made a whole new thread about it

[Colonel_Worf]

This is too deep for me. My head is going to explode. :D

[Inoculator9]

I agree with Vanguard. For navigators and the Guild, I believe that traversing distances took only a couple of seconds, it was just the unloading process that took a lot of time. So, yes, the Known Universe was very likely the "known universe".

[Emperor Harkonnen]

So, yes, the Known Universe was very likely the "known universe".

what the hell are you talking about?? what you said does not make sence at all >:(

[Caid Ivik]

Word "Hell" means many times "hell" too, for example... Or "A" maybe the same as "a"...

[Emperor Harkonnen]

still not getting it

[Procyon]

I think the "known universe" refers to the universe that we live in, because maybe exist another universe or dimension, that they don`t know it exist. Or that the universe is a lot bigger than they imagine, or there are unexplored areas.

[Apollyon]

Well it cannot mean the *entire* universe as that's impossible as the universe expands at the speed of light.

[Vanguard3000]

I think the "known universe" refers to the universe that we live in, because maybe exist another universe or dimension, that they don`t know it exist. Or that the universe is a lot bigger than they imagine, or there are unexplored areas.

I think the term "known universe" simply means the part of the universe that has been explored so far.

[Frodo]

that is the way i interpreted it.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

but how much has been explored so far. it would probably increase after they got the guild right?

[Frodo]

i believe once the guild was formed, the dating system changed and wasn't it called "The Great Expansion" or something?

[Vanguard3000]

Yes, when the Guild was formed, expansion became faster. To answer your question almost perfectly, reread the first post I made in this thread.