What is space?

[malfunktion]

What exactly do we mean when we say "space?" Does it have some type of property? When we say all things exist within space, does that mean space actually has a material/physical property to it too or just the things that exist within it? Could space be considered "immaterial?"

Also does time and energy have physical/material properties?

 

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

Once we would have said it's where things happen. Then Einstein told us that space happens too. With ideas of quantum gravity, 'space', or rather spatial location, becomes just another label attached to the mathematical objects of which the universe seems to be made, so space is just that set of labels.

But don't trust me, I'm only a vet!

 

[ceptimus]

There are two main (scientific) concepts of space.

One holds that space is a 'real' thing, another holds that space is just an imaginary construct we use to describe the relation between various bits of matter.

Under the first concept, space would still exist even if there were no matter; under the second, space would not exist at all if there were no matter.

 

[Millionframe]

As the atmosphere on earth is filled with oxygen, nitrogen, etc... space is basically like an atmosphere of "dark matter," in which stars, dust, planets, etc... reside. No one is sure exactly what "dark matter" is, I think, since it doesn't have the same properties as oxygen etc... and thats about as far as I can go. Correct me if I’m wrong, I’m far from being a scientist.

 

[Eos of the Eons]

Space would exist if there were no matter. Space is nothingness in which matter resides and interacts with each other. You will never be able to take a sample of the space the matter resides in...the space between us and the moon is empty nothingness so that the moon's gravity can affect Earth, and the Earth can pull on it enough to keep it in orbit.

Nothing cannot end or begin. It goes on beyond what we call the universe of matter.

No one can prove it is anything else. You cannot take a sample and look at it under a microscope. You can take samples of stuff existing in it though, but that is not space itself.

 

[Capsid]

Could a physicist tell me if space is not empty but actually full of photons? After all light from stars is whizzing around all the time isn't it? Or is this irrelevant?

 

[geni]

Could a physicist tell me if space is not empty but actually full of photons? After all light from stars is whizzing around all the time isn't it? Or is this irrelevant?

Pretty much. Space is also full of vertial particles according to some theories.

 

[scotth]

This is actually a more interesting question than it would seem.

As far as I know, all of the serious contenters in the current arena of cosmology posit that the space of our universe was created with the universe and that space itself would not exist with the energy and matter within it. All of these cosmology theories are derived from solutions to General Relativity.

General relativity also indicates that space is effected by the matter within, and vice versa. In fact, how gravity is "transmitted" is by the distortion of space by matter. Look up the mission on Gravity Probe B, for some interesting stuff we are doing today to further verify the veracity of General Relativity. (Yep, we are still trying to break Relativity, and this would have to be the most sensative and deep probe of the predictions of Relativity to date). I believe this is the first time we (humans) have seriously attempted to detect and measure the predicted "frame dragging" effects predicted by relativity.

Honestly, I don't think that anyone on the planet really "knows" what space is. I certainly do not.

I think perhaps, that as close as you can get is to understand some of the properties of space and its relationship to more concrete inhabitants of our universe (matter and energy).

When you begin to look at the details, it is quite clear that time is unseperable from the concept of space. It is all quite mind bending.

It may be that space even has a "granularity".... That there is a minimum distance that something may move within space and still be moved. The physics of the last century or so, considers that fundemental particles of matter are geometric points and that space can be subdivided and considered to any arbitrarily small scale. This has caused General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics to be impossible to bring together into one theory. String/brane/M theory requires that fundemental particles have a size and that space has minimum distance that can be relevelantly considered. General Relativity and QM happily co-exist within it. Plenty of details to be worked out with it yet, but it is very promising and very exciting.

Anyway, I worked all that about String theory in there for a purpose. One thing is quite clear in String theory, even at the early stage of its development..... If it proves to be correct, it will reveal a much clearer picture of what space is, than what we have today.

 

[rockoon]

According to Douglas Adams (R.I.P)

"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly hugely mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you might think it's a long walk down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space."

 

[hammegk]

....One thing is quite clear in String theory, even at the early stage of its development..... If it proves to be correct, it will reveal a much clearer picture of what space is, than what we have today.

Strings have finite dimensions & mask the problems infinitely divisable space bring up. Space? That's what exists between the edge of one string, and the beginning of the next, huh?

 

[Zombified]

Space is deep,
Space is dark,
It's hard to find
A place to park.

 

[scotth]

Strings have finite dimensions & mask the problems infinitely divisable space bring up. Space? That's what exists between the edge of one string, and the beginning of the next, huh?

Not only that.....

Space itself appears to have a number of more dimensions than the 3 we are familiar with, with the balance curled up upon themselves. These other dimensiones aren't curled up to a geometric point either.

If I am not mistaken (and I certainly could be), this is a large contributor (if not a majority contributor) to the solution of the infinitely divisable space as this would be require that the smallest division of space worth considering, no smaller than the size of these curled up dimensions.

 

[malfunktion]

Ive noticed some people have said that space is "nothing." Do you mean it does not actually exist and is only a concept or it something that exists but has no properties?

From my interpretations of what people have said it seems like it is something that actually exists according to quantuum physics right?