Does Space Move? Answers to Your Questions

[Komaraseru]

I wanted to know, since the matter in space is moving, is space itself in a state of motion? If it is would we be able to use it like a current as if it were water? I want to thank all who read and explain this to me.

 

[russ_watters]

No, space doesn't have a substance that can be said to be moving and there is no way to tell if objects are moving through space in any absolute sense. That's half of the point of Einstein's Relativity.

 

[Chronos]

The universe, by definition, is all encompassing. There is no absolute reference frame available for us to 'compare', as Russ noted.

 

[redhedkangaro]

Haha, I saw star trek the other day, this is an interesting question, in the movie, scotty's formula allows for one to teleport onto something traveling at warp speed. Aside from the nerdiness, i believe if one travels at the speed of light, time stops (im not too sure) I could totally see space as moving.

 

[yogi]

I wanted to know, since the matter in space is moving, is space itself in a state of motion? If it is would we be able to use it like a current as if it were water? I want to thank all who read and explain this to me.

Space is not a substance - but that does not mean it is nothing - conversely just as an electron or an atom is commonly identified as something - - in reality neither is a chunk of something - electrons and atoms have some property(s) that are localized and some that are extended throughout the universe. When Einstein was asked to summarize his General Theory in one sentence, he replied "Time and space and gravitation have no separate existence from matter." While there is no spatial motion that can be thought of as a conventional current, space nonetheless can be modeled in some situations as obeying the mathematical rules that apply to moving fluids

 

[Austin0]

Originally Posted by Komaraseru
I wanted to know, since the matter in space is moving, is space itself in a state of motion?

Space is not a substance - but that does not mean it is nothing - conversely just as an electron or an atom is commonly identified as something - - in reality neither is a chunk of something - electrons and atoms have some property(s) that are localized and some that are extended throughout the universe. When Einstein was asked to summarize his General Theory in one sentence, he replied "Time and space and gravitation have no separate existence from matter." While there is no spatial motion that can be thought of as a conventional current, space nonetheless can be modeled in some situations as obeying the mathematical rules that apply to moving fluids

Hi That's a quote with [forgive me] a lot of "room" for interpretation.
If mass or inertia are ,in some sense, the fundamental entities and the other three , simply emergent relationships , there might be some reality to the idea of space in motion. It may not be apparent locally, with perhaps the exception of the precession of mercury, but might be relevant on the cosmic scale with larger concentrations of mass and may figure into the apparent anomelies wrt Keplers law and missing mass in galactic motions. That it might not be missing mass, but that we are not understanding the degree to which the visible mass is carrying space with it . Just a thought.

 

[Hyrage]

Is there any definition for "space" here?