Does outer space exist?

Question

what is 'space'? Isn't it the absence of matter and energy? (which are ultimately the same thing according to Einstein)

What is *physical* existence? to have mass or matter?

Doesn't space by its own definition 'not exist'? space *is* nothingness, isnt it? It doesn't 'exist', but nothingness exists which defies intuition and logic.

You can see space, which is strange considering it doesn't exist, doesn't it?

Answer 1

God, that's a good question.

I suppose if we took away all matter and energy, then we would probably be left with nothing. But I'm not sure it's the same type of "nothing" that came before the big bang - which really was nothing.

So, space probably does exist, but we're not advanced enough to understand how or why yet.

Blimey - all these thumbs down!

Leviathan (yes, you, the smug one). Actually, matter and energy are equivalent - two forms of the same thing. Matter is unreleased energy and energy is released matter.

And the universe is NOT expanding "much faster than the speed of light". In the moments after the big bang it went through an inflationary period where it did, but it's not now.

I still think it's a good question - such a shame very few people have actually understood what you're on about.

Answer 2

It's quite likely that there is other life in the universe, and not unreasonable to suppose that some of it has been, is, or will be suitably intelligent. But the best explanation for the lack of alien visitation is simply that whatever aliens may exist have not yet visited Earth. The best explanation, parsimoniously speaking, is *not* that they are here and somehow "stealthy," or that they somehow look just like humans. There is a segment of the human population, however, that seems to have decided ahead of time to believe in alien visitation. They try to attribute this or that occurrence to aliens, even though they can't provide any evidence that the alleged aliens were the cause. That speculation isn't necessarily harmful. But then they pile on all these conspiracy theories about how the government is hiding evidence of aliens, and that people who dispute the alien-involvement theories are despicable "debunkers" with ideological motivation. They act to protect their cherished beliefs, not evaluate the evidence dispassionately. In other words, general belief in aliens is reasonably supportable, but don't go overboard with it.

Answer 3

Not everything needs to have mass or matter like a solid to exist.

Spcae exists as that area between planets. In the 15th and 16th centuries the ocean was the explorers space. Columbus and Cartier went forth and created maps to record what was on the other side of the space.

SO we have outer space and the samething. We really won't know or understand until we explore and map it. Biggest difference is that it goes in 360 degrees away from our little world. At least we understand the initial basics for exploring it.

Space is just an open area, an area meant to be crossed..

Answer 4

You can see space, can you? That's clever. Nobody else can.

Mass and energy are not the same thing but they can be converted from one to the other - that's one of the things Einstein is famous for.

If it helps space is not empty at the planck level. On a tiny scale its a seething foam of quantum particles appearing and disappearing. Though space is certainly something - maybe the fabric of a 3-brane - it isn't limited to the same movement matter is. The universe has been expanding much faster than light for a long time.

Answer 5

Your question is an interesting play on words and is based upon the learned realities of your Earthbound existance. To
appreciate Space one must open up his (or her) mind to new concepts and ideas. Space exists and is truly more fantastic than any words I can write on this tiny answer block in Yahoo.

To give you just a small sample of what Space is,
please go and visit:

http://gallery.spitzer.caltech.edu/

imagegallery/chron.php?cat=Astronomical_Images

Just a few of those pics will blow your mind.

Zah

Answer 6

I lay awake at night thinking of this stuff.Every time I think I may have some comprehension(ha ha),a new thought blows my mind.You sound like you think of similar stuff,check this out then.Current theory has it that the galaxies are not actually moving THROUGH space away from us,but that the space between the galaxies themselves is expanding.Since space has no mass,it needn't abide by the "nothing with mass can accelerate past the speed of light.So,last night,I'm thinking this same question.."What is Space?"Nothing,right?space is simply a dimension,or lack of matter.So how does one increase nothing?If space is getting bigger,and space itself has no mass or energy,then space=0.Add all the extra space(0) to space,and you get (0)How does that work>How does one add nothing to nothing and get MORE nothing?I know there are some with degrees here,hopefully they can answer.I try to grasp it,I even answer quite a few questions,but "what is space" caught me,because I was wondering that just last night myself

Answer 7

Of course it exists. The definition of not existing means just that. If you can move about in something as you can in space, then that means there is something there. The universe is mostly empty space, but as someone else has pointed out, quantum physics predicts that the so-called empty vacuum of space is actually anything but empty at the quantum level.

Answer 8

yes and its the most simple qeustion in the world. Dude space is atom ized time.

Answer 9

Of course it exists, if it didn't then you would't have anywhere to put stuff.

Answer 10

it egsists and what people youst to thunk is that is byond man reach but as NASA prroved it is not at leest thats what most people thinck some think they just film it in holywood/