Is Space Fabric Real or Just a Theoretical Construct?

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter MathJakob
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Space
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the nature of space and whether it can be considered materialistic or if it exists as a theoretical construct. Participants explore concepts related to gravity, the fabric of spacetime, and the implications of various physical theories, including General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether "empty" space can be considered an object or if it has any material properties, suggesting that gravity may not exist without matter.
  • Others assert that gravity is real, regardless of the underlying mechanisms, and challenge the notion that space must be materialistic to exhibit curvature.
  • One participant notes that classical physics treats space as empty, while General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics provide different perspectives on the nature of space and its contents.
  • There are claims that the analogy of space as a "fabric" can be misleading and that intrinsic curvature does not require a material basis.
  • Some participants reference the Michelson-Morley experiment as evidence against the existence of a fabric of space.
  • Discussions include hypothetical scenarios about the characteristics of space if magnified to extreme scales, questioning the nature of "nothingness" and its properties.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the materiality of space, with no consensus reached. Some agree that space can exhibit curvature without being materialistic, while others maintain that a physical presence is necessary for such characteristics.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the limitations of analogies used to describe space and curvature, noting that these may not accurately represent the complexities of the theories involved. The discussion also touches on philosophical implications rather than strictly physical interpretations.

  • #31
WannabeNewton said:
That's the Newtonian view of space. General relativity doesn't work that way; space isn't just a backdrop on which physics takes place.

I really really wish you hadnt said that. I now have to take my undertanding back to the drawing board so I hope you arent mistaken!
 

Similar threads

Graduate Dark matter and the fabric of space time,
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
High School What is dark energy in the fabric of space-time?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad Why is the observed local region of space flat?
  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
3K
High School Can We Use Space/Time Fabric to See the Past?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
High School Questions regarding expansion, the vacuum in space, and black holes
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad What is the nature of space and time in deep empty regions of the cosmos?
  • · Replies 48 ·
2
Replies
48
Views
5K
High School Could singularities be just rips in the space-time fabric?
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
6K
Undergrad Is this explanation of "space itself expanding" correct?
  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
4K
Graduate What volume of interstellar space is needed to form a star?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
High School Does dark energy or cosmic inflation explain flatness?
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
6K