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On 2016-04-24 17:43, William Flynn Wallace wrote:<br>
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<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">Say there is a
cube of space (in 'outer' space) that has not one single atom
of matter (violating entropy I suppose). Does this mean that
it is not in some sense 'space'? Not until some matter is
there?</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">That there is no
'there' there?</div>
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In the standard general relativity view there is a patch of
spacetime there, with its own properties (curvature). And there
could well be electromagnetic fields (like light on its way through)
or more exotic quantum stuff. In quantum field theory "empty" space
is a pretty complex thing and the mystery is why it is not heavy and
impenetrable. <br>
<br>
<br>
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<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">Some say our
universe is expanding. Does this mean that some 'potential
space' exists beyond any matter that will become 'space' when
some matter gets there?</div>
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<br>
Not in the standard general relativity framework. The technical way
of saying it is that the spacetime manifold does not require an
embedding for the Einstein equations to work. <br>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University</pre>
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