Expanding Universe?

Question

We are told that the universe is always expanding.
We are also told that the universe is everything that exists.
If there is nothing else but the universe, then what is it expanding into?

Answer 1

Aha! A great question!

One of the misconceptions of the "expanding universe theory" (Big Bang if you prefer) is that there is a reference point of the expansion. If you measure the expansion of the universe from Earth it will appear that everything is expanding away from Earth, making it appear that we are the center.

When studying the expanding universe, you have to use a reference point to measure distance (kind of like measure how far something is from you) and whatever reference you use, that is what will appear the center.

When science measures the universe, they are doing so without full knowledge of how big the universe is. It is one of the working theories in science.

What's beyond the Universe? We don't even know what all is in it yet!

Answer 2

When juggling with things as grand as the good old universe itself, keep one things in your mind: only the simplest ideas will work. The simple fact is that the universe is not expanding into it’s surrounding like a balloon, or like a big city into its suburban areas, the universe is expanding through the act of creation: things that have never been in existence before are being created for the first time to add to the universe in existence.

When we know about things in the universe and our mind expands, but when we think about new things the universe expands. It is difficult to believe; for example, if I think of a strange impossibly surrealistic object will it become a reality I front of my eyes, or wherever I imagined it? No, it will not. That created object will stay at the edge of the universe – edge is not a place here but made up of qualities of time, space and everything, whereas the place in front of my eyes is already filled with numerous things, people and ideas. But if I have a unique and brand new business idea in relation to where I live, that might be a blockbuster hit number one – a proper expansion in the universe

Answer 3

Great question to which I really do not have an answer that I can understand well enough. I can only make a layman guess which naturally throws up more questions than any final answer.

I think the universe is making more space and not blowing up in size into existing space. But then, I too wonder what lies beyond the boundary of the universe..... perhaps just nothing, not even empty space, because all existing empty space is very much an integral part of this universe..... in other words, perhaps more space is being created out of nothing. These concepts and theories, duly supported by mathematical formula and sums, are really mind blowing!!

Answer 4

There are two answers to this.

1) The Universe is expanding into itself. In other words, the physical (or seen) part of the Universe expands into the ethereal (or unseen) part of the Universe, but it is still the Universe.

2) There is nothing else but the Universe. And when it expands into that nothing that exists, then that nothingness becomes the Universe.

See? Very simple.

Answer 5

We shouldnt always believe everything that we are told. Perhaps there is something beyond the universe. Or, it could just be expanding into an emptiness that was never really there. The universe might not even exist. Maybe it is just something man made up for an easier explanation of things they do not understand.

Answer 6

I'm not sure the universe is expanding - who said or proved that ? Do you mean that objects in the cosmos are whizzing about, getting further and further apart (not really expansion, just movement through space) ? Or do you mean that the very fabric of space/time is expanding somehow - in which case how would you measure that expansion given that any ruler you use (including the wavelength of light) would also be expanding at the very same rate (hence all distances, and the observable universe, would appear absolutely static...)

Answer 7

(using my computer Stephen Hawking voice)-- Think of a water pool with a mass displacing in the middle. The water expands outward and downward and evaporates upward a bit too. The universe as we know it today is in constant motion throwing material outwards until the fires from the center/ the momentum just ceases and then well................find a partner and have some fun before Armageddon. But that's not for a long time as a million years in the universe scope is about 1 sec.

Answer 8

I don'ont know about the universe, but in America, between Thanksgiving and New Year's, the average American gains seven pounds. THAT'S expanding!

If the universe is everything that exists (I'm not sure I agree with that, but for the purpose of your question, I'll accept it) then it can inifinitely expand (oro contract) because it is all that is. It defines existence - and thus size - so there is no "into" and if it shrinks, there is nothing left over.

Happy New Year!

Answer 9

The "thing" that is expanding is called the metric of the universe. The universe is not expanding into something that is bigger than itself, but rather the distances inside it are getting larger. A useful analogy is a balloon with dots drawn upon it, or a raisin cake. When the balloon is inflated (or raisin cake baked), the distances between the dots/raisins are getting larger, but in case of the universe there is nothing outside it.

Answer 10

Good question. But nobody has answer. Yet.

According to our mind if something expands, it most expand into somebody else's territory. Like having two universes, one expanding and the other shrinking.

It would be interesting sitting at the edge of the universe and seeing "outside", the area we are expnading into.

Read the article at http://cas.sdss.org/dr5/en/astro/universe/universe.asp