If the universe is expanding. What is it expanding into?

Answer 1

Itself. What is matter? What is the absence of matter? What is time? What is the absence of time?

Questions with no tangible answers.

Answer 2

My understanding (or lack of it) is that it's not expanding "into" anything because, by definition, the universe is everything, so there is nothing outside it, not even any more space, for it to be expanding into. That's a puzzler, isn't it? On your question about whether it will contract again and then recycle, like a yo-yo, I gather from the science popularizers that that's considered as a real possibility, but admittedly is nothing but a guess. There no evidence on that, because if it ever recycled in the past, all the evidence would have been destroyed in the last big bang. Another possibility, discussed sometimes, is that it will keep expanding without limit. I don't really see how it could break up, or exactly what would be meant by that. In a sense it is already broken up, since the fact that it's expanding means its components are already flying apart. The two links below give good short discussions of the b.b. theory; but, disappointingly, they do not attempt to answer your most interesting questions.

Answer 3

Scientists always believe that their answers are final. What if they're wrong. Personally, I don't believe that the universe is expanding.

The only proof that the universe expands is the increase of distance between objects in space. But the question is: do things really have to stay still in space? can't they just be moving around?

the argument is that beyond the universe is a vacuum and the universe is filling that. i heard a bunch of scientists mention this the other day. i though that the universe is some kinda vacuum, anyway. no?

Answer 4

this question confuse me for a while too. until i accidental found the answer in the wording of the concise oxford dictionary

Universe noun
all existing matter and space considered as a whole; the cosmos.

i broke it down the definition into 3 parts

1/ all existing matter = means everything ie. what's in atoms right up to galaxies, dark and exotic matter everything

2/ space = what the matter is expanding into

i know that all the galaxies are expanding away from each other (there are few exceptions) which = all existing matter = part of the universe

so the galaxies are expanding into space which also = part of the universe.

3/ as a whole = the combination of all existing matter and space = the universe.

so all the matter from the big bang is expanding into the space of the universe.

or

part of the universe (all existing matter) is expanding into another part of the universe (space) and together make up the whole universe

so you could say that the universe is expanding into itself.

Answer 5

Good question; the confusion here is a result of a conflicting set of definitions. In astrophysics, the universe is taken to mean the net collection of all matter, whereas in cosmology the universe tends to refer to the actual plane of existence in which this matter resides. The plane does not itself have a finite size, thus is not expanding. The matter, on the other hand, is by generalisation drifting apart, therefore the total space that the astrophysical universe occupies is increasing.

To put it another way, the physical universe is expanding in the framework of the cosmological universe.

They might be great with mathematical models, but theoretical physicists never have been good with words. >_>;

Answer 6

The area outside of our universe is undefined, because the normal laws of space and time are only understood within the observable universe. Rather than thinking about bigger, think of a rising loaf of bread. The amount of bread remains constant even though its physical size becomes larger and larger. Everything within the loaf remains bread, but it does not alter the surrounding environment...it does not turn the pan or the air around it into bread.

The universe is expanding, and its "loaf" contains all the matter, energy and space-time fabric that define our universe. The structure of the universe cannot be used to infer anything about anything "outside" of the universe, and perhaps the physical laws of time and space as we understand them only apply within the limits of the known universe. For this reason, and in the absence of being able to measure anything from "outside" the universe, it is impossible to speculate on its nature. There is no way for us to measure, since even if we sent a beam of light toward the edge of the universe, it would never leave the universe as space-time and energy (photons) would "expand the universe infinitely along that vector".

The total amount of matter and energy is conserved in the universe, as far as we know, meaning that the net energy balance of the universe remains constant. Energy at the frontier of the universe is not being destroyed or created and no new energy is coming in from outside. If I suggested that the area outside the universe is made of cherry flavored Jello, there would be no way to test nor disprove my theory, because anything that is within our universe remains within it and cannot interact with the "inter-universal medium".

Answer 7

it is not expanding into something. by stating the universe is expanding into.....(whatever), you are giving it a physical state, what the universe is expanding into does not matter, because we will spoil it anyway

Answer 8

The known universe (i.e. the bits we can see) is expanding into a vacuum - as far as we know.

Answer 9

This clearly illustrates mans inability to understand certain concepts.

There is no 'beyond or outside the universe' and the term 'nothing' doesn't mean 'empty space' (like a vacuum).

A similar problem exists with 'infinite' it is just too strange for or minds to comprehend.

Answer 10

has man got any idea of how big the universe is ? if any one says yes he is bluffing. man has no means of knowing the limits of universe then how can he suggest that it is expanding.

Answer 11

Itself. Expand in infinity mean infinity