Thoughts On Yesterday's Question Of The Day

OK, so I work at this place that we call the #atheistcafe. It's not really, but WTF. There are some Team Atheist members, skeptics, philosophy clubs, believers-yes, we let believers in (I will gladly take anyone's money), punk rockers, hippies and professional types. This one customer in particular, "R", proposed the question of the day yesterday. What is in vacuumless space and can you quantify it (I assume he means measure it). Can you pump the "everything" outta a space. What is left? Oh joy, I didn't know the answer (I said dark matter which wuz incorrect), soz I asked around.

I'll be first to admit that, yes I'm a skeptic, I know science-y stuffs, but I'm totally deficient in the areas of astronomy and cosmic stuffs. Funny thing, I probably know more about ass-trology, than astronomy. Go figure and try and take a way my skeptics card. Any who...

The first person I hit up is this very nice fellow who years ago he took some sort of test and Sac State gave him (because he earned it) a BS, astronomy (he had been studying on his own for years and got offered this test I never heard of. I dunno). Dude told me 1) there is no such thing as a pure vacuum and 2) there is no such thing as a pure vacuum. The most empty space, whatever empty is, will still have dust particles in it, perhaps energy of some sort-a truly nothingness cannot really exist (if I understood dude correctly).

(Immediately I thought, can nothing exists, is there such a thing as nothing and even if there was, then could we call this nothing...something. Just give it a name and actually, I thought that's what dark matter/energy was....anyways).

The difference between space and let's say this table I'm sitting at is that all the particles that make this chair are totally packed together, hella, like so many. In space, I guess whether is is vacuumless or not, the particles are totally hella far apart, they are still there, but there is not as many and once again...totallly far apart.

So what do you call that. One of my tweeps, "T" suggested that it is vacuumless energy and free space. Vacuum energy is when space has no matter, then this is what is left behind. Click the link because it is to cosmological-y for me to explain and I don't understand it anyways. I don't think this is the answer tho, because if there is energy there, then we can call it energy (we're trying to find nothingness, define it and measure it. does it exist). Free space is vacuum and we already said that there is no such thing, so there.

Which brings me to this. I'm stumped. The question, if you will recall...What is in vacuumless space and what would you call that and could you measure that. OK, here's my new answer. If we see it in micro and macro, and I might get sort of Eastern philosophy-ie so if you do wanna take away my skeptics card, then you will be justified (I have to do something I dunno the answer), then perhaps we can 'see' it.  Is the space between the stars the same thing as the space between the smallest particles in atoms. As far as I know there is no definition for that space. We have not thus far been able to see or measure this totally small something that we are calling nothing. OK, now be really patient....

Is there such a thing as nothing. Can you take something and cut it in half so much that eventually it becomes nothing. It is like infinity...is there such a thing because you can always add one. As long as time exists, then you can always add one. But there it is, time is not infinite, it is finite. The universe will end one day, right...or will it keep expanding forever and ever. Whatever...

So if time is infinite then you can always add one...doesn't that mean there is not such thing as infinite (cause you'll never reach it). Likewise, can you cut something in half forever. Can you cut something in half and then one day there will be nothing. That's not very infinite-y.

Back to the question. What is in empty space, what do you call it and can you measure it. My answer...I dunno. Maybe a theoretical physicists or a mathematician knows. Hell maybe a philosopher can answer this. Howz about a theologian, can that person answer this (NO!). Just so ya know, the dude that asked me this question didn't know the answer either.

So what do you guys think (that's code for you Troy)?

-------------


Update later, early October-ish. On Nova. have ya heard about that show-kinda epic-n-such-any who...The Fabric of the Cosmos... is too awesome for 'lil old me to describe. Team Atheist/Skeptic you should goober out on this (and if you have "that lucky lady"...then you should cuddle...it's cold right now. Awesomeness.