Is spacetime truly flat without gravitational influences?

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    Flat Spacetime
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of spacetime in the absence of gravitational influences, exploring whether such conditions would result in a flat spacetime. The conversation includes theoretical considerations and implications of gravitational effects on spacetime geometry.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that removing all gravitational influences would make spacetime flat, although they acknowledge the impossibility of completely eliminating gravity.
  • Another participant emphasizes that spacetime is always curved due to the presence of mass, referencing Einstein's equations and critiquing the idealized Minkowski manifold as a limited representation.
  • A later reply reiterates the theoretical nature of the initial question and discusses the constraints of Minkowski spacetime, noting its limitations due to the finite size of the universe.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of spacetime without gravity, with some asserting flatness is achievable in theory, while others argue that curvature is an inherent aspect of spacetime due to mass. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations in defining mass within Minkowski spacetime and the implications of a finite universe on theoretical constructs.

Mr. Paradox
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If someone were to remove all of the gravitational influences on a portion of space would that essentially make that portion of spacetime flat? (Just curious):-p
 
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Yes it would be flat. However it is impossible to remove all influence of gravity because gravity has no bounds.
 
Well of couse i am speaking in theoretical terms
 
Always curvature, and always mass. In other words, both sides of Einstein eq. The cover of MTW is wrong also. Idealized Minkowski manifold is a tangent space to pseudo Reimannian manifold. Also try to define mass in Minkowski spacetime manifold; some modes are at infiniity.
 
Mr. Paradox said:
If someone were to remove all of the gravitational influences on a portion of space would that essentially make that portion of spacetime flat? (Just curious):-p

Even though you can imagine and even work with the Minkowski space-time, it is limited by the size of the universe which is finite. It occupies the space of about R=c*T where c is the light speed and T is the time since the big bang. there is no sense to speak of space where the matter or light has not reached yet.

Bob.
 

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