What is beyond 'space' and where does is end?

Question

Sensible answers please.

Answer 1

Who knows

Answer 2

That is an interesting question. The current theory is that the Universe is infinite. Space is as it's name implies the vast emptiness between and beyond all the matter that exists. It is possible there is a limit to what we consider our expandinding Universe (the matter expelled from the Big Bang). We have no way of knowing if the were other such explosions in far distant regions of space that may some day collide with ours. Truly what we do not know still far outweighs what we do know, despite the fact that we learn more by leaps and bounds every day. If there is an end to space we have not found a way to perceive it yet. In the absence of any indication of a limit, the belief in a boundless, infinite universe will persist until science shows us something different.

Answer 3

The simplified physics-based answer is still a tad complex, but here's a version of it:

First, we have more than 3 spatial dimensions to work with (which automatically makes things confusing) plus at least one time dimension. So, all descriptions for the shape of the universe are all sort of 3-d analogies for the "real thing". The best work in this area is by Stephen Hawking, who'll tell you the universe is sort of like a torus (a donut shape). That means it has no beginning, nor an end, and is "recursive"--that means it eventually doubles back on itself whichever way you travel if you go far enough.

Since there are more than 3 dimensions in this torus, asking "what's off the torus?" makes no logical sense. Everything and everytime is on, or within the torus. (Still, Homer Simpson is happy about a donut shaped universe!).

So bottom line: Space should not appear to have a real boundary, beyond which there is "something else" -- that would make no sense. The hardest part of this is getting your mind past the multiple dimension issue. It's hard for all of us, and is one reason we use such complex math to model these things.

Answer 4

You want a sensible answer, sorry, I don't mean this offensive, but this is not a sensible question. We don't know what is beyond space, the universe is so big that all it is is space. The Milky Way that we are in is just a tiny part of the whole universe which is space. That would answer that beyond space, which logically doesn't exist because it is just space and that's all. If there was something way out there, God only knows and we might know one day if he chooses.

Answer 5

OK.

I don't think this is a sensible question, just because it's grammatically correct and SEEMS to be asking something.

The notion of 'beyond' implies a space within a space.

My yard is a bounded space within the neighborhood, which is within the city, and so on.

Thus, it makes sense to talk about a tree that sits beyond the boundary of my yard, or a hill beyond the city, etc.

In order to sensibly talk about what's beyond an area, you need to be talking about areas less than EVERYTHING. That is, there has to BE a beyond to talk about what it's like.

In the case of space itself, there is no such "place' -- it's a logical impossibility.

You're asking the word 'beyond' to do work it just isn't made for, as it were. A sort of "category mistake."

Hope this made sense. It is, I think, the most sensible response to this question. I know most people don't find this sort of response satisfying, as it SEEMS as though there should be an "answer" ("Well, there's lots of grass, ..." or "It's really dark.")

But that's because we usually ask "What's beyond" when there is, in fact, a beyond.

That's what that word is FOR. The concept just doesn't hold up under infinite regression.

Answer 6

How can space end?? If it does what is after it? There can't be nothing. As far as I know there is no such thing as nothing. I was thinking that if space does not end then it is all likely that there could be a so called parallel universe of type. The world as we know it is made up of a relatively small number of elements that can only bind together in a relatively small number of configurations (on the grand scheme of things). If the universe was infinite, wouldn't these binding combinations eventually reach a point where they had to repeat those that have already been made??
i dont think any one knows the answer yet

Answer 7

tehabwa put it very well: "beyond" has meaning only if there is something beyond. Seems obvious when you think about it, right?

The edge or limit or boundary of the universe is what defines "something" and therefore "nothing". What is "beyond" that is undefined; the "beyond" is not something that belongs to this universe, and so is not definable by anything we know from this state of existence, this physical universe.

It is plausible, however, that this universe is only a "subset" of a larger reality. Or a smaller universe within a much larger Universe. That there is a larger and "more real" reality "out there" in the "beyond."

The idea of an infinite universe is not well supported. The universe is expanding, which implies that it has a finite size.

Also, the idea of something physical being infinte in size is absurd. Nothing can be infinite in size.

And if the universe were infinite in size, it would also be infinitely massive and therefore would collapse into itself under its infinite gravitational pull.

Moreover, if the universe had infinite mass, it would also have an infinite number of stars, and so the night sky would be infinitely bright.

The universe is finite in size. What's beyond it, is unknown and undefined.

Answer 8

The space (or more precisely the "Universe") has NO end (no boundaries). We are not sure of its shape, because we do not yet know for sure how many dimensions there are.
So...
To visualise space with our poor perceptions of a curved universe, imagine a balloon. This is the Universe.
Mark dots on the balloon: these are stars, planets or galaxies.
The hard thing to conceive is that we are only THE SURFACE OF THE BALLOON, and there is NOTHING INSIDE, nor OUTSIDE. The only thing that exists is the skin of the balloon. It is not contained in anything.
So, as you move around the balloon, you will never reach an end. There are no "ends" on the surface of a sphere...
Once you understand that, the mysteries disappear...
(In reality, it is a bit more complex than that)

Answer 9

My theory.

The universe has a diameter of 26 billion light-years. This is because the universe is continually expanding from the point of the "Big Bang", which happened approximately 13 billion years ago. Taking this into account, the farthest light has possibly traveled from this point is 13 billion light-years, in every direction (up, down, left, etc.), meaning that the "known" universe is perfectly spherical with a diameter of 26 billion light-years (radius of 13 billion light-years).

Answer 10

Where the universe ends (if it ends at all) is something that we will never truly know, as the universe is expanding so we will never be able to see the edge. this is due to the fact that the universe isn't old enough for light to have traveled from the theoretical 'edge' to us. providing that the universe is expanding at more than one light year per year, then we have no chance of ever becoming any more able to know where (if at all) it ends.

Answer 11

well not depending on scientist n stuff. my personal theory is that there are millions of other planets yet to be discovered. n really universe never ends. it's just planets n stars and galaxies n eveything. when one thinks about it n where space ends, it feels like it literally boggles ur mind. so i think it just never ends