Why think the laws of physics or observations will be similar tomorrow, but very different outside our observable universe? It seems like essentially the same problem to me.
I agree it is essentially the same problem. I would think about it as follows:
If I observed the ground around me is pretty flat and apparently unbounded (e.g. if I were in the middle of a large desert), it would make sense to assume the Earth is larger than a flat circle with a few kilometers centred in me. Ignoring other sources of evidence, I would have as much evidence for the Earth extending for only tens of kilometers as for it being infinite. Yet, I should not claim in this case that there is empirical evidence for the Earth being infinite.
Similarly, based on the Laws of Physics having worked a certain way for a long time (or large space), it makes sense to assume they will work roughly the same way closeby in time (or space). However, I should not claim there is empirical evidence they will hold infinitely further away in time (or space).
Why then assume it’s finite rather than infinite or possibly either?
Sorry for the lack of claririty. I did not mean to argue for a finite universe. I like to assume it is finite for simplicity, in the same way that it is practical to have physical laws with zeros even though all measurements have finite precision. However, I do not think there will ever be evidence for/​against the entire universe being finite/​infinite.
Thanks for jumping in, Michael!
I agree it is essentially the same problem. I would think about it as follows:
If I observed the ground around me is pretty flat and apparently unbounded (e.g. if I were in the middle of a large desert), it would make sense to assume the Earth is larger than a flat circle with a few kilometers centred in me. Ignoring other sources of evidence, I would have as much evidence for the Earth extending for only tens of kilometers as for it being infinite. Yet, I should not claim in this case that there is empirical evidence for the Earth being infinite.
Similarly, based on the Laws of Physics having worked a certain way for a long time (or large space), it makes sense to assume they will work roughly the same way closeby in time (or space). However, I should not claim there is empirical evidence they will hold infinitely further away in time (or space).
Sorry for the lack of claririty. I did not mean to argue for a finite universe. I like to assume it is finite for simplicity, in the same way that it is practical to have physical laws with zeros even though all measurements have finite precision. However, I do not think there will ever be evidence for/​against the entire universe being finite/​infinite.