Final answer:
The claim that a recollapsing universe implies the present contraction of the universe is false. A recollapsing universe will eventually stop expanding due to its density and lack of dark energy, leading to contraction, but currently, the universe is expanding and this expansion is accelerating.
Step-by-step explanation:
If we learn that the universe is a recollapsing universe, it will mean that the universe is presently contracting, rather than expanding as generally believed. The answer to this statement is false. A recollapsing or closed universe is one where the actual density of the universe is higher than the critical density, and there is no dark energy, causing it to eventually stop expanding and begin contracting. However, the current observations indicate that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. In a recollapsing universe model, the contraction and potential 'big crunch' would happen at some point in the future, not presently, as the universe has been expanding since the Big Bang. Moreover, our understanding of the universe's rate of expansion has evolved; initially, astronomers expected it to be slowing down due to gravitational attraction between galaxies, but in contrast, recent observations indicate ongoing acceleration.