What is space? And why don't scientists consider it to be the force that expands the universe?

[TEPO]

…and I don’t think our universe is “expanding”, i think the outsides are picking up speed because its being pulled apart by distant giant spheres.

 

[ChainBreaker]

Space is a word that describes a concept that revolves around the positioning of objects and the relationship between those objects and other objects.

If space is just a concept with no ontology, then space does not exist. In which case it makes no rational sense for there to be a spatial dimension between objects. we clearly observe that there is in fact space between objects. In fact Physics has revealed to us that we are not so “solid” after all when viewed at a subatomic level.

Space is not a force. Its more like a canvas, in which objects and forces exist on, and move about on.

I could except that if it was not for the fact that space itself is expanding. The Big bang did not happen in space, but rather the evidence implies that space happened with it.

 

[TEPO]

If space is just a concept with no ontology, then space does not exist. In which case it makes no rational sense for there to be a spatial dimension between objects. we clearly observe that there is in fact space between objects. In fact Physics has revealed to us that we are not so “solid” after all when viewed at a subatomic level.

I could except that if it was not for the fact that space itself is expanding. The Big bang did not happen in space, but rather the evidence implies that space happened with it.

To imply that “space” is a creation of the big bang, and that it is expanding, indicates that there is an end to space. How can anyone believe that there is anything other than space and that it has borders? What could possibly be on the other side of space? Is there something moving out of spaces way?

…space as a ‘thing’ is not expanding. Only the area (space) between objects is increasing.

 

[ChainBreaker]

To imply that “space” is a creation of the big bang, and that it is expanding, indicates that there is an end to space. How can anyone believe that there is anything other than space and that it has borders? What could possibly be on the other side of space? Is there something moving out of spaces way?

…space as a ‘thing’ is not expanding. Only the area (space) between objects is increasing.

Space is potentially infinite but not actually-infinite.

You ask what exist outside of space? I answer that nothing-physical (no physical things) exists outside of space because the concept of being outside is only meaningful in space. Only a non-physical act of existence can be said to not be in any particular space at the same time and yet not outside of space either. There is no space out side of space, just the pure act of existence.

 

[TEPO]

Space is potentially infinite but not actually-infinite.

You ask what exist outside of space? I answer that nothing-physical (no physical things) exists outside of space because the concept of being outside is only meaningful in space. Only a non-physical act of existence can be said to not be in any particular space at the same time and yet not outside of space either. There is no space out side of space, just the pure act of existence.

Hmm… Thats difficult to wrap my mind around. I cant imagine what a non-physical, pure ‘act’ of existence would include.

 

[ChainBreaker]

Hmm… Thats difficult to wrap my mind around. I cant imagine what a non-physical, pure ‘act’ of existence would include.

You can not “know” or imagine what pure-existence is in and of itself. As a concept i am simply describing a being that is perfectly-real (to be real is its nature) in comparison to beings that are imperfectly real in so far as they are in themselves actualised-potential (and thus dependent on that which is real by nature in order to have an act).

But as an objective reality it is incomprensible. In the first place we only know of existence through the sensory perception of physical objects and in that respect it is only natural to think of existence purely in terms of measurable beings (physical objects) . We can only know that pure-existence is real becuase it’s “act” is neccesary in respect to contingent things and is logically infered indirectly in respect to “physical-actuality”. Pure-existence in terms of what it’s “nature” is or as you say “would include” is not metaphysically knowable to us through rational discourse alone, or at least this is what most theists would argue.

 

[JimG]

If I understand current cosmological theory, it is space itself is that which is expanding; thus space can be thought of as responsible for the expansion, because the space is expanding.

Galaxies are getting farther apart because the amount of space between all of them increases. It’s like air being blown into a balloon, expanding the surface of the balloon. The difference is that with the balloon, dots (representing galaxies) expand along with the balloon. In the universe, it is only the space which expands, not the galaxies.

Gravitational theory considers gravitation to be not so much an attractive force as a result of the curvature or non-curvature of space. The greater the curvature, the greater the force of gravity. Light and everything else, simply follows the curvature of space, much as a car travels along a straight road on the surface of the earth. To one driving the car, the road seems flat, but from a planetary viewpoint, the car is following an arc.

 

[TEPO]

If I understand current cosmological theory, it is space itself is that which is expanding; thus space can be thought of as responsible for the expansion, because the space is expanding.

Maybe so… But space wasnt expanding prior to the big bang according to science, so there must be a force that initiated the expansion of space.

…something caused the animation of matter, space and time.

 

[JimG]

Maybe so… But space wasnt expanding prior to the big bang according to science, so there must be a force that initiated the expansion of space.

…something caused the animation of matter, space and time.

It seems to be the assumption that the big bang itself began the expansion. One can’t scientifically extrapolate prior to the big bang, because the big bang began as a singularity, within which space and time and matter cannot be distinguished. (Current theory holds that a similar situation applies at very small (subatomic) lengths. Below the Planck length, space and time become chaotic and cannot be distinguished.)