if the universe is expanding whats on the outside? into what space???

Answer 1

That is a question that gets asked again and again and again; before you submit your question read the previous ones.

The basic problem is that you are using everyday "common sense" ideas to approach a physically extreme situation, and that is invalid. Space-time is a property of the Universe, so it does not exist at all outside the universe, so you can not reasonably ask what is "outside" the universe, nor can you ask what was "before" the Big Bang. That's because both questions are logically indeterminate when you are dealing with a place with no definition of space and no definition of time.

Answer 2

Consider a balloon. If you put little dots with a marker on and blow it up, the dots will get farther apart. From our perspective the balloon expand in 3 dimensions. However, for the 2 dimensional dot, the surface is expanding as well.

The a 2 dimensional creature would think the universe is expanding and would be able to tell they don't live on what seems to be a flat plane, but is rather a sphere. They can never perceive a sphere - they aren't capable of perceiving a 3rd spacial dimension, but they would know it to be true if they discover that parallel lines do in fact meet at some point.

They would be able to mathematically describe it, but not perceive it directly.

So, bump that up a dimension. We live on the 3d surface of a 4d hyperspace. Our universe expands in a way analogous to the surface of the balloon. We see the expansion, but we can't perceive where it expands into.

This is how Einstein describes gravity. Its not really a force, its more of a localized bend in 3d space TOWARD of INTO the 4th (spacial) dimension. This is how he explained why light (without mass) is effected by gravity - light is actually just taking the straightest path - it looks warped from 3 dimensions, but is straight from 4 spacial dimensions.

So when you ask what's outside, 'outside' itself is kind of a misnomer in this way. A better term would be what's it expanding toward or into what? Its certainly not expanding into or toward its 3d 'container' so to speak.

Check out the book 'Flatland'. Goes into much greater detail on the subject. Though, newer theories disagree, this is a good model to get started with. Kind of like thinking of a molecule as a collection of connected spheres - not exactly right, but its a model and it serves its purpose well enough to be useful.

Its all about finding a model that accurately describes the universe we live in, so far, when it comes to gravity, General Relativity is the most accurate experimentally proven theory - and it has far reaching consequences for the nature of time and space if correct.

Answer 3

The space-time continuum is expanding, according to the Theory of Relativity.

11 dimensional string theory has not produced anything, and is possibly evidence of paranoid sabotage of science.

It is possible that the 7 dimensions of space that are not perceived are mathematical deception, and therefore string theory is a theory of nothing, as you will find if you read the wikipedia article on string theory all the way to the end.

Answer 4

Space is expanding, but not into something else. Rather space itself is expanding. That is, the space between galaxies is getting larger. The Universe is space; space is the Universe. There is nothing outside.

There may be other universes. They may be myriad. But it's not like there's one next door or that one would collide with the other. They occupy distinct space-time continua (I looked it up...that's the plural. Cool, huh?).

Answer 5

The universe is increasing itself. Its not purely that galaxies and clusters of galaxies get added aside; particularly area seems to be filling in between those bodies. The universe is increasing in a manner it is purely about impossible to rationalize with the human ideas. i think of there are some fairly exciting theories obtainable, maximum of those are stressful to fathom. i like the only that shows our 3-D universe is reminiscent of the 2d floor on the interior a sphere. Any element could be reached by using a non-end direction. Now upload an added length to that, and you will't photograph it on your ideas, yet you fairly have an exciting finite universe....

Answer 6

Absence

If the universe is all matter and space, known and unknown, then beyond the universe is the absence of matter and space.

Answer 7

go to www.yahoo.com
and type
what is outside the universe?
And you will get about 15 million hits in 0.12 seconds

Answer 8

I don't think it means the universe is literally expanding, I think it just means that the planets and galaxies, and everything in it is spreading out farther and farther apart.

Answer 9

Space (i.e. the universe) itself is expanding.
Into what? No one quite understands.

Answer 10

They say in the 13th dimension. Has something to do with M theory -- (don't ask me to explain, it's a little to complicated for me) -- but that is the start of your answer