More Stars Than Grains Of Sand On Earth

[Gavin Allan]

What about the national deficit? Is it finite or infinite?

 

[Gavin Allan]

TJR, how do you know that space is infinite? Maybe there is a point at which space becomes nothingness.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Gavin suggests:

Maybe there is a point at which space becomes nothingness.

Space is nothingness. It's called "space" because its that vast stretches of void, of nothing, between celestial objects.



So, if you were to get to a point where there are no more celestial bodies, but then just nothingness, that's still SPACE...right?



TJR

 

[Gavin Allan]

How can space be something if it is nothing?



How do you measure nothing?



If you cannot measure it, it must be finite.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Gavin,



I think your logic is a little mixed up.



You said:

If you cannot measure it, it must be finite.

I would have agreed with you if you said: "If you CAN measure it then it must be FINITE!"



Also, who said that "space" is something?



Who ever said anything about measuring nothing?



TJR

 

[Gavin Allan]

Well, if there is nothing there, you must have reached the end.

 

[Brian Curry]

42

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Gavin,



You missed my point.



Space, but it's very definition has no matter. It is the "area" between matter. Matter, by it's definition is that thing which occupies space. There can be matter in space, but there is no space in matter. Because of this, space is infinite.



There may very well be a boundary within space at which up to that boundary there is space filled with forms of matter (universes, galaxies, stars, planets, moons, asteroids, particles) but beyond that point there is "matterless space", or space where there is no matter. At that point, space is filled with nothingness and continues infinitely.



I think the part you are having difficulty with is that space is NOTHING, and if there is a point that what you are calling space becomes nothing, then before, at and after that point; and on, and on, that's ALL space...by the definition of what space is.



TJR