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

Answer 1

It could be expanding into nothingness, or it could be expanding into four-dimensional space, we just don't know. Also, space and time may not just be for the existence of matter and energy and the changes involve. Perhaps space and time may exist on their own. We just don't know. Maybe space is something too compared to nothingness.

Answer 2

The key to understanding this concept is that you actually don't have to expand into anything, if you are everything.

If the universe is unbounded - if it is infinite - it still can expand. What is to keep the distances between stars and galaxies from becoming greater?

What's really amazing, once you comprehend that fact: the universe can be finite in size and (since it's still everything) expand.

Perhaps the old "infinite hotel" will help explain. One night, the proprietor of the Infinite Hotel (which has an infinite number of rooms) found the hotel full. Every room was taken. And - surprise surprise - one more person showed up. Did the proprietor have to turn him away? No. He just asked everyone to move up one room - the person in 1 moved to 2, 2 moved to 3, 100 moved to 101, etc. Since there's an infinite number of rooms, this was no problem, and the person had a great night's sleep in the infinite hotel.

The universe is kind of like that. It's infinite - but you can still make more room. If you try to think of this from an "outside" perspective, it doesn't make sense. But from down here inside the universe - everything is expanding.

Cosmologists have no problem with this. In fact, what really boggles my mind is the big bang. It did not start from a singularity inside of something - EVERYTHING was the singularity. There was nothing - not even space to expand into - outside that initial point. Yet it expanded!

That's one reason I'm fascinated by physics and cosmology - things that don't make sense - to our limited thinking - actually happen. Time dilates. Spooky action happens at a distance. An infinite universe gets bigger when there's nothing to get bigger into. I like my mind boggled - which is why I love science!

Answer 3

I'm with I Am Sam I Am. That's probably the best way to explain the answer to your question.

But still, it's just a theory. Universe expands until it implodes and starts all over. I believe if this were to happen, it would be the cause of reincarnation. I don't really believe reincarnation but if not, that would/might mean that we've already done this before.

I would like to quote part/most of a song by Monty Python for you:

Just remember that your standing, on a planet that's evolving. Revolving at 900 miles an hour.

We're orbiting at 90 miles a second, so it's reckond, a sun that is the source of all our power.

The sun, you and me and all the stars that we can see......are travelling at a million miles a day......in an outer spiral arm at 40,000 miles an hour of the galaxy we call the milky way.

Our galaxy itself, contains 100 million stars. It's 100,000 light years side to side.

It bulges in the middle, 16,000 light years thick, but out by us it's just 3000 light years wide.

We're 60,000 light years from galatic central point, we go round every 200 million years.........and our galaxy is only one of millions of billions, in this amazing and expanding universe.

Last line doesn't ryme, but still pretty cool. Reminds me how small we are.

Answer 4

This a very good question, and many scientists are still debating over this one. Space is created at the sub atomic level and is always re-creating itself. i will try to explain the best i can.

an experiment was done at the sub atomic level to see how this was done, it's the electrons that are doing this. at the center of a atom are electron and nutrons. as one of these electrons start to deteriorate, it gives off some energy when it dies, which then creates two new electrons.

one electron remains in the nucleus, the other is ejected til it finds it's way into another nucleus and the chain re-action starts over..this has been going on since the big boom if you believe in the big boom.

Scientist's believe that the universe will either keep expanding forever or that it will one day stop expanding and start to implode, but that is still anyones guess.

Answer 5

The universe does not expand into anything. The universe contains everything and as it expands everything expands along with it. There is nothing beyond the universe. You cannot use analogies where you are expanding something into somethingelse because the universe defines itself as it expands.

Answer 6

Well its just stretching like spandex. Its expanding until it reaches the point of infinity, then it will bounce back the the universe will implode. I imagine that the gravity on Earth will become nothing once it reaches the point of infinity, then it will grow larger and larger until the edge of the universe hits us and we are doomed, then the universe will bounce back out once it hits the center of hte universe and there starts the universe all over again.

Answer 7

I can't really tell you if the Universe is indeed expanding or not.

But I can tell you it is very easy to fake, forge, or provide false accounts of how the universe is actually behaving. Even if you are using truely advance equipment and you swear on your mother's grave that you won't present falsely documented information.

Answer 8

Too simple of a question...the concept of space does not exist unless you are IN the Universe, otherwise neither Space nor Time exists. To "grow into something" requires space...a circular logic question....

Answer 9

infinity

Answer 10

a quadrupal D cup...