Significance of the cosmology...

[Ripheus23]

To my knowledge, the only real "difference" between a dwarf and a non-dwarf galaxy is the number of stars in each. Also I can't figure out if there's actually a thing called a "dwarf cluster" unless we're talking about a cluster of dwarf galaxies, or maybe a small cluster of whatever-sized galaxies.

Now, the numerical difference doesn't make quite a difference, though, in the sense that there's still such a massive number of stars per galaxy in question, that tacking on another zero or two or three (or whatever) wouldn't have any intuitive value for the reader. Telling the reader, "Oh, there are only 100,000,000 stars per galaxy," here, doesn't mean much less than saying, "There're 100,000,000,000 stars per galaxy." Moreover, if we're dealing with a cluster of galaxies, well, those apparently can contain up to 1,000 galaxies, but the low-end number I've read on Wikipedia is 100. So we'd still be dealing with at least 10 billion stars, if not 100 billion, which is comparable to a normal individual galaxy. (In fact, some dwarf galaxies are said to contain several billion stars anyway!)

Additionally, dwarf galaxies, while not absolutely defined in terms of "normal"-size galaxies, seem strongly correlated with them, including as regards their origins. So if the Cosmere was a cluster of dwarf galaxies, or a small cluster of whatever-sized galaxies, this would indicate that there was/is a set of "normal" galaxies/clusters, around which the Cosmere revolved, or something along this line.

I suspect the Mistship saga will explore the galactic question in the meta-series, but for now I haven't come up with a possible reason for the specific characterization of the Cosmere in terms of dwarf galaxies.

[StrikerEZ]

Quote

Questioner [PENDING REVIEW]

Is there a center to the cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

There isn't a center in the cosmere.

*inaudible*

I keep calling it a dwarf galaxy but I think they decided it's a cluster, instead of a dwarf galaxy.

Overlord Jebus [PENDING REVIEW]

Even a dwarf galaxy is still really big.

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

Yeah, still too big. So we had to call it a cluster. Because we only wanted like what, we came up with 50 or 100 stars? So it's a cluster. Or a really dwarf galaxy.

I'm not sure what this means for intergalactic travel in the Cosmere universe. But the Cosmere itself is only 50-100 stars, so who knows if they'll go beyond that.

[Zelly]

Let's eat the forbidden fruit of parallel universes. Welcome to the Cosmultiverse.

[Ripheus23]

@StrikerEZ Wait, so it's not a galactic cluster, but a cluster of stars?

Well Adonalsiumdamnit...

EDIT: Also, that really diminishes my impression of Adonalsium's power, unless we suppose that Adonalsium's power was like 1/3rd of the Big Bang (next to the initial sum of mass/matter & energy) that never got Banged out across the universe, or something.

Edited July 16, 2018 by Ripheus23

[StrikerEZ]

1 hour ago, Ripheus23 said:

@StrikerEZ Wait, so it's not a galactic cluster, but a cluster of stars?

Well Adonalsiumdamnit...

EDIT: Also, that really diminishes my impression of Adonalsium's power, unless we suppose that Adonalsium's power was like 1/3rd of the Big Bang (next to the initial sum of mass/matter & energy) that never got Banged out across the universe, or something.

Welll, it could just be that Adonalsium chose to, for whatever reason, only Invest in a certain area. Or that area just had a higher concentration of Investiture compared to the rest of the universe. Or maybe Adonalsium is just one of many beings like him across the universe. Who knows?

[Weltall]

Omnipotence within a discrete spatial region is still omnipotence. Adonalsium was able to create entire star systems like Roshar at will and Frost at least believes he had some master plan for all the worlds in the Cosmere that Hoid and the Vessels are potentially ruining by interfering with them. Maybe Adonalsium could have interacted with space outside the Cosmere but was so busy with what was going on inside it that he never got around to it. Or maybe he did interact with 'outside' space and we just don't know it. A parallel could be drawn with the Abrahamic religions where you have an all-powerful God who created everything but who is only described as having interactions with one planet in a backwater of an unfashionable end of an arm of one galaxy, an utterly insignificant little blue planet whose ape-descended lifeforms are so amazingly primitive that we still think smartwatches are a pretty neat idea.

Also what StrikerEZ said; there could be other entities like Adonalsium everywhere in the wider universe, or he could be unique to the Cosmere and the story is simply focusing there because, well, that's where all the cool stuff is happening.

[Quantus]

One thing to keep in Mind (I say because I struggle to do so) is that the Cosmere is Finite, it is not the typical Infinite universe/Multiverse idea of Endless Space. Per WOB there is a Finite amount of Matter and Energy in the Cosmere,

 

 

Quote

 

Brandon Sanderson

Just as a point you should understand, the amount of MATTER in the cosmere is finite too. As is the amount of energy.

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/188-general-reddit-2015/#e3925

 

 

[ZenBossanova]

My head-Canon is still that Adonalsium is a very young God. 

And also that the Shattering is part of his(its?) development. 

Now, the real question is, are there other beings like Adonalsium out in other Star Clusters/Galaxies? 

[Quantus]

14 hours ago, ZenBossanova said:

My head-Canon is still that Adonalsium is a very young God. 

And also that the Shattering is part of his(its?) development. 

Now, the real question is, are there other beings like Adonalsium out in other Star Clusters/Galaxies? 

One of the theories Ive heard several times is that Adonalsium was a mortal that ascended to full Godhood, in a manner that mirrors some interpretations of Mormon teachings (which Im largely ignorant of personally so I dont want to misstate anything).  The way it was explained to me was that one of the possible afterlife options (glories) was that you basically become the God of your own corner of space.  If that is indeed an influence on the Cosmere, then there are likely indeed other area's of authority for a

 

As far as actual facts, looking through the Arcanum there is this little nugget: "Adonalsium Shattered because he was killed."  Sooo, that indicates 1) Adonalsium had Gender, and 2) he was killed first, which cause the shattering of his power.  Sounds to me like he was a heavily Invested Mortal like the current hexadieties, somebody that still had a physical form kicking around. 

[+Sorana]

Maybe Adonalsium chose to invest only this small part of the universe and the stars/ planets it contains. If you think about how many planets in the cosmere are the home to a sentinent species (or had the potential to), then he chose a real good spot. Why stretch himself thinner, when he has a lot of planets to "play" with all next to each other? (Excluding those that were created later)

Edited July 26, 2018 by Sorana

[Ripheus23]

IDK, maybe it's just that Sanderson knows how hard it would be to write an effective larger-scale tale, especially given that he enjoys the details of his worlds so much.