is space infinate?

[Reaperman64]

theres a theory that i found really cool

think of asteroids. its a 2d universe but to express it inits true form it would be a dounut (think about it top goes to bottom side goes to side).

and there honestly a theory that suggests the unverse is a 4d dougnut

how awesome be that?

 

[Insomniactk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS8PLIo
There's your answer, space is expanding faster and faster.
Also, one can _not_ see earth if you look long enough.

 

[grimsprice]

It's not space itself that's expanding, but the spread of objects.

Actually, it is the space that is expanding.
The spread of objects is expanding too because the objects are on the space that is expanding.

Mark a number of pen marks on a rubber band. Then pull the rubber band. The space between them expands, but not because of their own movement. That is a very poor example of what the universe is like.

 

[Zarthek]

well.. if there's an infinite number of points in a TIIINY little triangle/square/etc..., i guess you could say that space is infinite

 

[Martymer]

Another question, How on earth could you know that the universe if everything? That is complete speculation. I have yet to hear someone say something about how the universe is that isn't complete speculation.

Then you clearly aren't familiar with an invention called... what was it now? Oh, right: the eye. Edwin Hubble was the first to observe that the universe is expanding by looking at the red-shifting of distant objects. Red-shifting is a phenomenon that occurs when an object is moving away from an observer. The light it emitts appears to have a higher wavelength as result of the object's movement. The police use the exact same phenomenon to measure the velocity of a speeding car. Hubble was not speculating, he was stating an empirical fact: distant objects are moving away from us, and the more distant an object is, the faster it's moving. Later observations have not only confirmed Hubble's discovery, but have also led us to conclude that the rate of expansion is, in fact, increasing. Again: not speculation. Empirical fact.

I've read through alot of answers which are all full of complete bullshit, i'll be the first (i think) to answer this correctly:

We Don't Know!

There is no imaginable way to proove any of the claims made in this thread, its all theories, which is why this entire question is about as stupid as any other subject based on theories/belief.

Oh dear... Always one, isn't there? "It's just a theory, so it's pointless and stupid." Have you ever heard of this moron called Isaac? He was so stupid, that he actually asked "why the fuck do apples fall *down*???". He made up some stupid bullshit theories that supposedly explained the laws of mechanics and thermodynamics (which, as we all know, are just fancy words for "bullshit"), and of course, this was a total waste of time. No one ever read his work and thought of putting it into practice, resulting in inventions that we now use every day of our lives. Oh, wait... /sarcasm

Fine, I'll grant you that this particular question probably won't lead to anything that has any practical application, but to say that any subject based on theories is stupid, is... well, stupid. Also, some people like knowing stuff. Even "worthless" stuff like sports statistics. Expanding one's intellect is pretty damn rewarding, especially when it's done by learning things one actually gives a fuck about (whether they matter or not).

___

To answer the OP, no, space is not infinite. Think of space as the surface of a balloon that's being blown up. Move straight in one direction and you'll end up back where you started eventually. This won't ever happen though, as the universe expands at a rate faster than the speed of light.

 

[Hakazaba]

I dont know if anyone will actually reed this but if your interested google Michio Kaku he is a theoretical physisist.

The current theory is infact instead of existance only existing in a universe, it is instead a multiverse composed of many universes.

I quite like the idea of our intire existance being one spectaculer explosion ever expanding and axccelerating into the void. The fact of which make us so insignificant yet incredable as we flourashed in the chaos that could snuff us out at any time. We are probably similar to an atom when compared to what we cannot comprehend.

Kind of makes you feel insignificant, while at the same time its empowering.
We have come far form the chemical compound we once were and continue to grow.

Will you ever look at at a firecracker the same way again?

Sigh... no one ever listens.

 

[Amnestic]

Yes. The Universe is expanding faster than ever. It's expanding at about 71 km/s/Mpc.

No it isn't infinite, if it was then there wouldn't be night because the sky would be full of stars and light.

That has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

If the universe is infinitely big there would be an infinite number of stars producing infinite amounts of light which would (because the universe is infinite) eventually reach the earth. The sheer number of stars would cause enough light for there to be no light.

Once again: Light does not work that way. Are some stars in the sky dimmer than others?

Answer: Yes.

If you stand 50 feet away from someone holding a torch, does it appear dimmer than if you were five feet away?

Answer: Yes.

Conclusion: I shouldn't have to spell this out.

Its dimmer because we are further away and the individual wavelengths have been spread out reducing the intensity of the light. The universe started out at a single point. In order for it to be infinitely big then it has had to be expanding for an infinite amount of time meaning that all light produced will be hitting us.
Suppose only one photon from each star reaches us per second:

1*infinity= infinity
Therefore an infinite number of photons will be hitting us every second more than enough to make the same light intensity as daylight

That's working under the assumption that an infinite universe=infinite number of stars, something we have no proof of. There could be infinite 'dark space' out there where there is simply nothing at all - thereby making your infinite photon point quite irrelevant.

 

[coldshadow]

depends on what theory is right XD

 

[Zero47]

Good question. A current theory is that space expands (which I think by definition means space is not infinite yet). However because time is relative it seems to contradict (how do we know that the expansion we see doesn't go at an infinately slow rate?)

@Zarthek: it's all about the definition of a "point", the kind of point you're talking about doesn't have physical dimensions (it just nears a certain dimensions to infinity). When talking about expanding space we're talking about measurable components, like atoms.

 

[Archemetis]

The universe is supposedly Pringle-shaped.

How can something with a shape be inifinite?

Unless it was constantly expanding...

Which I guess answers mine and your question.

It's not infinite, it's just getting bigger all the time.

 

[Doug]

Depends on how you define "Space" - our Universe is probably finite, but if scientific theory is right, there are an infinite number of alternative Universes, either in this same 'plane' only so far away that light from us can never reach then, and/or in other sets of dimensions. I saw a TV program about it about 2 months ago.

 

[Datalord]

While our universe is NOT infinite, it has limits (that are currently expanding due to a positive amount of entropy in the universe), space is.

Space continues beyond our universe, it continues on infinitely, matter and energy are both finite, but space is not.

 

[Datalord]

Yes. The Universe is expanding faster than ever. It's expanding at about 71 km/s/Mpc.

No it isn't infinite, if it was then there wouldn't be night because the sky would be full of stars and light.

That has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

If the universe is infinitely big there would be an infinite number of stars producing infinite amounts of light which would (because the universe is infinite) eventually reach the earth. The sheer number of stars would cause enough light for there to be no light.

Once again: Light does not work that way. Are some stars in the sky dimmer than others?

Answer: Yes.

If you stand 50 feet away from someone holding a torch, does it appear dimmer than if you were five feet away?

Answer: Yes.

Conclusion: I shouldn't have to spell this out.

His logic is sound, but his premise is not, While SPACE IS infinite (our universe isn't, but space itself is), matter and energy are both finite, so infinite stars is impossible
Its dimmer because we are further away and the individual wavelengths have been spread out reducing the intensity of the light. The universe started out at a single point. In order for it to be infinitely big then it has had to be expanding for an infinite amount of time meaning that all light produced will be hitting us.
Suppose only one photon from each star reaches us per second:

1*infinity= infinity
Therefore an infinite number of photons will be hitting us every second more than enough to make the same light intensity as daylight

That's working under the assumption that an infinite universe=infinite number of stars, something we have no proof of. There could be infinite 'dark space' out there where there is simply nothing at all - thereby making your infinite photon point quite irrelevant.

 

[Chris^^]

NO. but it might be infinite.

to be honest, i do find it interesting, but to a limit, if you wanna go out there with a tape measure and check then feel free, i'll just stay home and watch doctor who thank you *snigger*

 

[Chameliondude]

You're going to want to look it up if you want a real answer. Best I can so is this:

If you go in a staright line, you'll eventually get back to where you started.

Yes. Of course it is. It's infinite and expanding.

That doesn't work. If it's infinite, it can't expand.

Aren't things infinite because they expand constantly?

The best way to describe it is, imagine that you had an infinatly long pole, hold it, the volume is infinate, double the width, its still infinate, double the height, it is still infinate, it doesnt matter if it is expanding or contracting, it is still infinate, Just to clarify, we are talking about space, not the universe, space has no mass therefore can be infinate as it can contain infinatly small amounts of energy, hope that is a help

well doesn't that make my statement a correct one?
seeing as it doesn't matter what you do or how far you try to reach the end it keeps on expanding past you so you can never reach the end

that's why I say it's infinite because it expands constantly I actually mean a growth that you can't check as it is ongoing

You're going to want to look it up if you want a real answer. Best I can so is this:

If you go in a staright line, you'll eventually get back to where you started.

Yes. Of course it is. It's infinite and expanding.

That doesn't work. If it's infinite, it can't expand.

Aren't things infinite because they expand constantly?

The best way to describe it is, imagine that you had an infinatly long pole, hold it, the volume is infinate, double the width, its still infinate, double the height, it is still infinate, it doesnt matter if it is expanding or contracting, it is still infinate, Just to clarify, we are talking about space, not the universe, space has no mass therefore can be infinate as it can contain infinatly small amounts of energy, hope that is a help

well doesn't that make my statement a correct one?
seeing as it doesn't matter what you do or how far you try to reach the end it keeps on expanding past you so you can never reach the end

that's why I say it's infinite because it expands constantly I actually mean a growth that you can't check as it is ongoing

Yes, expanding constantly does make something infinate given infinate time which there is, but space has no recognisable end, therefore it does not need to be expanding constanly to make it infinate, and the fact that it does is a coincidence,

Simply, space is expanding, but does not need to be to make it infinate as it has no end anyway, that was all i was saying, infinate is not defined as always expanding but as having no end point or going on forever
so just a definition correction, so your point is correctish because space has no end, the known universe does, not sure which one you meant, everone on this forum seems to be talking about one or the other

 

[Chris^^]

The universe is supposedly Pringle-shaped.

How can something with a shape be inifinite?

Unless it was constantly expanding...

Which I guess answers mine and your question.

It's not infinite, it's just getting bigger all the time.

so the area that its expanding in to doesnt count as part of the universe, that area at least must be infinite as it can contain a constantly expanding body without expanding itself.

 

[Fasckira]

Reminds me of the quote from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy:

"Space," it says, "is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly hugely mindbogglingly big it is. I mean you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space, LISTEN!" and so on...

 

[blackshark121]

I don't think its infinite as in no upper limit, but infinite in the concept of an extremely large number.

 

[axia777]

Yes.