If the universe is expanding, into what is it expanding?

Question

(I asked this as a joke. I knew about the matter and energy expanding into vacuum, but thanks anyway.)

Answer 1

There is only one universe, and to say it is expanding actually refers to the fact that the solar systems, galaxies, etc are all spreading apart from one another. If you believe int he big bang theory, them think of yourself in one VERY slow explosion spreading out from that central core.

So I guess to answer your question, it is expanding into itself.

Answer 2

It's hard to think about because we incorrectly think of time and space as separate, linear and continuous, but try thinking of it this way:

If space and time are part of the universe, and time is "marching on" then that means that the universe is growing, or expanding, at least in it's 'time' dimension.

There is a theory that this expansion is not only slowing (like a rubber band being stretched) but will eventually stop and begin to go in reverse. The direction of times progression would reverse like a ball thrown into the air once it hits its peak altitude. Everything that has or ever will occur will be un-occurring during that period. Think of your drive to work this morning, or the toilet you flushed 10 minutes ago. You could say that everything would be happening backwards except that 'forwards' and 'backwards' depend on time which is the thing going backwards, so to speak.
The big bang would be the big implosion, resulting in all of the universe's matter and energy being focused at a single point which would then explode (bang) starting the whole cycle over again.

Answer 3

think of it this way, the universe is expanding at an increasing rate in other words the expansion is speeding up, when it expanse to a size where the outer three dimensional universe as we know it reaches the speed of light, at that speed time stops,any increase faster than the speed of light and the universe ceases to exist in our time dimension, it can still exist in the same space yet it now exists in a different time or for a better word dimension. so the universe doesn't have to keep expanding into a void it simply stops existing in our dimension at that point.

Answer 4

According to popular theory, the universe itself is still expanding due to the Big Bang event. It is also believed by some that it will eventually collapse back on itself sometime in the distant future and everything will return to "singularity".

Answer 5

if the big bang theory is correct, then the universe came into being from nothing and therefore had to produce its own space into which it can expand. so if you stood on the edge of the expanding universe facing outward and put your arm out, in theory you should never see it as it would be ahead of its own reality.

Answer 6

The universe is infinite; it's better to say that the galaxies are spreading out and expanding.

So, IMO, what they mean by the unvierse expanding is galaxies and solar systems all spreading out into what is already there.

Answer 7

Part of the universe is collapsing too. The expanding parts fit into the collaping parts.

Answer 8

The universe in 3D is endless but to other dimension it is not. With 3 dimensions of a balance of visual, motion and touch with time of the 4th dimension.