Where would you find yourself if you traveled past the edge of space?

Question

BTW - I am looking for scientific/philosophical answers not heavily religous answers, or answers that say "that isn't possible."

I like the idea that space is curved, but it is almost mind boggling to think about. If spaced is curved, I automatically think that it must then be round, but if it is round (like the earth) how does that work, because in space you can go in any direction, wheras on earth you could WALK in a cirlcle and find yourself at your origin, but if you go straight up in lets say a rocket then you find yourself somewhere else entirely. Hopefully I am making sense.

I don't expect a matter-of-fact answer. I expect a philosophical answer, because it is a philosophical question.

Space isn't infinite.

I was thinking that to end up back where you started, then space, yes, would have to be curved, but then you would more or less have to be going in a circle right? Even circles have outer layers that can be penetrated. I think that is what I was trying to say before.

So far I think my thinking aligns more with Ben G's comment. Still accepting theories though.

Answer 1

Theoretically you'd find yourself back in native state! As for a matter of comparison - you won't find the outer bounds of your mind either although that seems to operate in much the same way in how this universe is set up.

Because you overshoot the bounds of the known galaxies or past the edge of space, doesn't mean you'll escape the bounds of the universe. It'll be more empty space.

As an example - leaving point A and theoretically arriving back from whence you left - this just wouldn't work out. If you have a ball to travel round - yes, you can make it back to the origin so long as you know where the point of origin began. So Earth would have to be the point of origin and by set coordinates in your travelling distance you would then be able to state that you can return to said origin.

Otherwise a rocket fired out into space will only be a rocket travelling on that trajectory, more or less in an arc to comply with spacial laws, but it wouldn't mean that it could or would return as we don't know the direction of the arc - and not a circle, as you'd definitely have to tell it to return for it to return.

So you'd be in deep space with the possibility of no stars to view except behind you - you'd have know the set coordinates of parallel universes to make the jump to them though too! Worms, black-holes, spacial phenomena, etc, etc, etc., don't lead you out of this universe - they only lead you deeper in.

NOTE: with current theories of the big bang - point of origin is the centre of the bang with everything moving away from it apparently in an arc. However, if it actually rotated like the patterns you seen in galaxies, spiralling, or for that matter twisters, where they spin outward first and then back which would mean there'd have to be a positive negative field above and below the universe to make it do so - really big magnets or some supreme being making it twirl. Either way you'd get your point of origin but not your out of this universe space.

Answer 2

We may dissolve into 'nothing'.

My thinking goes like this to come up with the above answer....

Beyond the edge of space, there wouldn't be any space... if there is no space, there would be nothing there. If we can manage to cross the edge of space somehow, in the absence of space, our being can not have any physical dimension... we may then become some sort of metaphysical existence which means we can not be sensed any more through the five sensory organs nor can we sense anything without a physical presence. If we believe that when we think about this, our thought has gone there, then our somehow managing to travel there will turn our body into something like a thought that can be without any physical dimensions. This is what I mean by saying that we would perhaps dissolve into nothing.

Thanks for a great STAR question letting my imagination fly across space and beyond!!

Answer 3

I would assume that since everything in the universe seems to like equilibrium, there would have to be something that would balance the universe, so maybe some sort of anti-verse. I really just base this reasoning on the concept that if most things within a close system follow certain norms, than the system itself must follow those norms as well. Conceptualizing the universe as a closed system for everything that we know and understand, than the universe as that system must follow the same rules. If there is a positive than somewhere there is a negative to balance the system. If there is a universe that there must be something to balance it.

Answer 4

What if its the same as the Earth, you travel at the edge of space and it takes you in full circle... and you have to find out a way to push out of our dimension but cannot because quantum physics won't allow us to do that until we find a way to tear through that dimension?

And, if space originating from maybe many big bangs and more to come... What if our space is one of many others parallel to us. So, just as there are galaxy clusters, there are space clusters?

That makes us infinitesimally small and for something that small, we sure are significant because we exist.

Pretty cool, huh?

See the science on this site:
http://discoveries.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/04/quantum_physics.html

Answer 5

Well if the universe was created in a big bang that exploded matter outwards and most agree the universe is still expanding than somewhere billions of light years from here we would find the outer edge of this wave of matter that is expanding outwards..using logic even though logic doesn't completely apply to this universe we would probably find matter-less space nothingness

Answer 6

Given the science on the ability to create artificial wormholes, the edge of space would be like finding where the edge of a lake meets the edge of the atmosphere.

As for a longitude and latitude in space, I lack that knowledge. (I think it has 6 or 7 coordinates.)

Answer 7

Actually Felix brings up something I was going to mention...
There is SPECULATION that space is a giant ball... I have only read the head line of the article so far, but I am guessing that they are saying that we, and the rest of space make up the interior part of the "ball". I could e-mail you more about it once I read it... If you are interested in it.
CyberNara
Edit... The thesis is space is a hologram. Still need to read up on it, but it is in Scientific American Reports.

Answer 8

Waaaaaaaaaaaay complicated solutions to this. that is all to do with commonplace relativity, and describes gravitational acceleration as a curve of area and time. that's the two eye-catching and exceptionally complicated. See wikipedia for a sturdy rationalization of the entire ingredient, if extremely long. (edit: commonplace theory of Relativity grew to become into printed by potential of Albert Einstein in 1915/sixteen)

Answer 9

We would either be in a different dimension or we would somehow loop back to where we started from through a wormhole. The possiblities are endless.

Answer 10

Since Space is infinite who would know the answer to that question! OK you don't want religion or "that isn't possible" answers, but just who do you think would know the answer to your question? Not even a scientist or astronaut would know! If you don't want heavenly answers maybe you should stick to this solar system!!! This isn't a mean reply,,,it's just a reply, don't take it wrong please!