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Space: Finite or Infinite?
People have always wondered if the universe is finite or infinite in length. One of the first philosophers to theorize about space was the Greek Archytas of Tarentum. In the 4th century, he wondered what would happen if one traveled to the end of the world and stretched out a hand. The hand would meet either space or matter, which would extend the boundary of space even further. He concluded that space was infinite. Aristotle disagreed. He believed that space was finite. Isaac Newton believed space was infinite, flat, and forever the same. Is space infinite? We may never know for sure.
OLOGY CARD 168
Series: Physics
space
When we think of "space," we often think of "outer space"— the vast, empty, dark space that surrounds the stars and planets. Just as space surrounds everything in the Universe, it surrounds you and everything around you. Space is the structure and fabric of the cosmos. Without space, physical phenomena could not occur.
Image credits: main image, © AMNH/Eric Hamilton.