[[Mod. note -- ... [snip] ...

If the universe is not expanding (point 2), then the CMBR temperature
should have been the same in the past. -- jt]]

In article ,
Richard S. Sternberg writes:
I hope I won't lose in accuracy what I gain in easy comprehension for lay
consumption, but isn't this more easily stated as Ober's Paradox, also
called the Bright Sky Paradox:

[[Mod. note -- It's _Olber_'s Paradox.

Olbers', please. Or I suppose Olbers's if you are a hypermodernist.

[[Mod. note -- ((cringing)) Oops, mea culpa! -- jt]]

However, I don't see Olbers' paradox being the same as the
Moderator's initial point. Seeing the CMBR temperature higher in the
past says the Universe is evolving, but it isn't the same observation
as noting the night sky is dark. We can imagine a dark night sky in
an unevolving Universe (one finite either in age or in space) or a
bright night sky in an evolving Universe (one densely packed with
stars).

As it happens, the explanations for the two observations are closely
related. We appear to live in a Universe of finite age (explaining
the dark night sky) that is expanding (explaining the hotter
microwave background in the past).

--
Steve Willner Phone 617-495-7123
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
(Please email your reply if you want to be sure I see it; include a
valid Reply-To address to receive an acknowledgement. Commercial
email may be sent to your ISP.)