Dark Energy & the Law of Thermodynamics

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Galaxies are receding not due to a force overcoming gravity, but because space itself is expanding, leading to an increase in distance between them. This expansion raises questions about gravitational potential energy, as it seems to gain energy without a corresponding energy source, potentially violating the first law of thermodynamics. However, the acceleration of this recession is attributed to dark energy, which behaves as if it has negative pressure, contributing to the universe's expansion. The discussion highlights that the concepts of motion and expansion are intertwined, and the energy dynamics involve both kinetic and potential energy. Ultimately, understanding these phenomena requires reconciling the effects of dark energy with the fundamental principles of physics.
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I know spacetime is something but I am wondering what that something is. is it only the gravitational field? is the geometry of spacetime, gravity?
 
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  • #32
Freeman Dyson said:
I know spacetime is something but I am wondering what that something is. is it only the gravitational field? is the geometry of spacetime, gravity?
Our understanding is just that gravity is a word we use to describe the curvature of space-time, and especially how matter affects and reacts to that curvature.
 

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