Home General Chat
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

still can't get my head round it.

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
someone explain in simple terms for a simple lad ...if the universe is expanding ...where is it expanding to and into what?
«1

Comments

  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    It expands into nothing, as the univerce contains everything so there is absolutely nothing around it.
    Can't get your head around it? Don't worry, I doubt there's anyone who can.

    Although maybe there are other universes around our own, and one day they'll meet and overlap (if they haven't already).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've seen you mention this before and indeed it is quite interesting. I think what they're trying to say is where the last bit of matter ends before infinity outside, however it can't "expand" in the technical sense because everything is made of atoms, it's never been smaller or got bigger, just things got added to it....I think.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Zalbor wrote:
    Although maybe there are other universes around our own, and one day they'll meet and overlap (if they haven't already).

    Other universes?

    Thats a contradiction, everything there is is just the one universe. If there are other universes, what's outside them?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Zalbor wrote:
    It expands into nothing,

    ).
    yeah ...thats the bit i struggle with.
    theres no where for it to expand to ...so it creates somehow ...the space to expand into.
    it hurts my head.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It doesn't create space, it expands into space.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    It doesn't create space, it expands into space.
    no.
    wrong.
    you don't understand.

    the space is the universe ...not just the solid bits.
    think of the big bang ...there was no space.
    suddenly there was some ...this space is expanding ...into what ...how?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think the best solution to the problem is just not to think about it :p

    Works for me.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    no.
    wrong.
    you don't understand.

    the space is the universe ...not just the solid bits.
    think of the big bang ...there was no space.
    suddenly there was some ...this space is expanding ...into what ...how?

    Yes and I believe that the non-solid bits are the space. Just nothingness.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    Yes and I believe that the non-solid bits are the space. Just nothingness.
    look mate ...there isn't just this huge empty space where everything can move into or it wouldn't be a problem,
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ...and into what?
    ice cream, duh.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    you are thinking about this way too much.

    Personally, i just accept an idea of nothingness, and don't question it. I've questionned it before and it just gets way too difficult to comphrehend.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    look mate ...there isn't just this huge empty space where everything can move into or it wouldn't be a problem,

    Why not? What's outside the "space" then?
  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    turlough wrote:
    Other universes?

    Thats a contradiction, everything there is is just the one universe. If there are other universes, what's outside them?
    Nothing. You might even say that even as the universes expand they're always touching, since in nothing distance has no meaning.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    What's outside the "space" then?
    thats the friggin problem!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thats the friggin problem!

    Atoms...considering we're all made of the damn things.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    Atoms...considering we're all made of the damn things.
    whaaa? outside the spavce there are atoms?
    lost me there mate.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    whaaa? outside the spavce there are atoms?
    lost me there mate.

    Yea it's space, it has to be made of something. There's no such thing as nothing, it has to constitute something. Oh shit i'm getting confused myself.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    turlough wrote:
    Yea it's space, it has to be made of something. There's no such thing as nothing, it has to constitute something. Oh shit i'm getting confused myself.
    there might be some spare beds at J's new place ...
    what has to constitute something?
    there is no space outside of the universe.
    thats why i have trouble with it expanding ...never mind.
  • Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    turlough wrote:
    Yea it's space, it has to be made of something. There's no such thing as nothing, it has to constitute something. Oh shit i'm getting confused myself.

    Space itself is the absence of matter... exactaly why your fucked if you go in it. Although, if this "dark matter" which in theory exists (Puley because of the lack of any evidence to show it does, so, it must be there!) then there is matter passin through everything all at once.

    Outside the universe, is the absence of anything I guess. Even the absence of nothing... or a theory I am working on is that our universe is a small experiment in a much larger one. They've created a little experiment to watch a whole system live and die... we are it. Maybe.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It might not be expanding at all. It may well be that we just perceive it to be expanding.

    Outside of the universe is a big sign saying "Gone to lunch. Back in 5".

    Or, our universe is just a turd excreted by a huge celestial bunny. Called Gordon.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Infinite wrote:
    It might not be expanding at all. It may well be that we just perceive it to be expanding.

    .
    indeedy.
    all this red shift bollox might just be ...well bollox.

    trouble then though ...is if it aint expanding ...it must be contained in something ...meaning theres something else beyond it.
  • Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    ...meaning theres something else beyond it.

    Why? What is it with people and thinking there must be "more" ? Gah, you people, can't just accept the idea this is all there is. Us and the life in our universe. I don't beleive it, but it could well be. I think there are many dimensions.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    it must be contained in something ...meaning theres something else beyond it.


    Gordon the celestial bunny :yes:

    He's the only answer.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Teh_Gerbil wrote:
    Why? What is it with people and thinking there must be "more" ? .
    i aint looking for something more.
    i'm just trying to understand the bit we know about.
    is it exapnding ...if so ...into what?
    if it aint expanding ...then why not ...whats stopping it?
    is it in a box?
  • Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    is it in a box?

    Yeah, under me bed.

    Erm, well... we don't know's the only answer. We are trying to find out, but as far as I can see there is nothing outside it. Not even nothing, as there is in space. The complete abscence of anything, and the existence of somthing is spreading out the way, until it goes so far, and begins to come back in, crushing everything into a small, compact, mass of alot of material with much energy. Then it blasts out again... in a big bang.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thats the friggin problem!

    Even more space? :confused:

    How do we know where/if space ends?

    Doesn't Hawkins believe that, to travel past the outer-reaches of "space", you'd end up at where you started...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Who cares, as life on earth is limited anyway. :nervous:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    larger sized pants, of course.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yeah ...thats the bit i struggle with.
    theres no where for it to expand to ...so it creates somehow ...the space to expand into.
    it hurts my head.
    Maybe it's our knowledge that's expanding, not the universe itself.... But our own perception of the universe.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    So when the Universe expands, what is it doing to the space outside it to make it part of the universe? The Universe is essentially just growing, as expanding implies that there is something for it to expand into, which there apparently isn't.
Sign In or Register to comment.