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Please help me understand Space.

Pagusas

Elden Member
Space is 3d, there is an up, galaxies and solar systems tend to form into disk shapes though due to how particles interact and collide when spun, causing the top and bottom of a spear to collapse into it self. But to answer your primary question, space is 3d, our solar system is flying through space, I find when I'm teaching this visual helps illustrate that:

tumblr_mj0vvcqnZx1qdlh1io1_400.gif
 

winjer

Gold Member
If you were on that space ship at the peak of the gravitational slingshot acceleration, would you literally feel the G-force, or would it be so gradual as to be imperceptible?

I think we would not feel anything, because our bodies would have zero acceleration.

For consideration, at rest on the surface of the Earth, our bodies are subjected to 1G of acceleration upwards.
But if in freefall, for example inside a plane, we have zero acceleration. Thus zero G.

So a bodie falling around a planet, even in s slingshot move, would have zero acceleration. As long as there are no other forces, besides the gravitational distortion of space.
 
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E-Cat

Member
I think we would not feel anything, because our bodies would have zero acceleration.

For consideration, at rest on the surface of the Earth, our bodies are subjected to 1G of acceleration upwards.
But if in freefall, for example inside a plane, we have zero acceleration. Thus zero G.

So a bodie falling around a planet, even in s slingshot move, would have zero acceleration. As long as there are no other forces, besides the gravitational distortion of space.
I’m having a hard time reconciling how this is different from the acceleration of rockets to reach escape velocity from earth. Is this because you’re still in the gravitational pull of the earth?
 

dave_d

Member
I think we would not feel anything, because our bodies would have zero acceleration.

For consideration, at rest on the surface of the Earth, our bodies are subjected to 1G of acceleration upwards.
But if in freefall, for example inside a plane, we have zero acceleration. Thus zero G.

So a bodie falling around a planet, even in s slingshot move, would have zero acceleration. As long as there are no other forces, besides the gravitational distortion of space.
It isn't that there's zero acceleration, it's that there's zero acceleration relative to the spaceship you would be in. (Everything is falling together) I'd have to think if the acceleration was enough then there could be tidal forces which you would be able to detect. (But that would have to be extreme.)
 

winjer

Gold Member
I’m having a hard time reconciling how this is different from the acceleration of rockets to reach escape velocity from earth. Is this because you’re still in the gravitational pull of the earth?

Mind you, I'm not a physicist. So take my explanation with a pinch of salt.
But gravity is not a force. It's a distortion of space. So the natural position for any object around earth is to fall to it's core, because that is the centre of the distortion.
Because we are stopped by the ground of the planet surface, we become accelerated, upwards, at 1G.
To leave Earth we need to exert enough force to escape this gravitational distortion. The closer we are to the centre of it, the stronger the pull.
But we have to exert a force in the opposite direction.

One thing I just remembered, is that in a slingshot, we might feel the force of changing direction. Like when we are in a car doing a curve and we are pushed sideways.
 

winjer

Gold Member
It isn't that there's zero acceleration, it's that there's zero acceleration relative to the spaceship you would be in. (Everything is falling together) I'd have to think if the acceleration was enough then there could be tidal forces which you would be able to detect. (But that would have to be extreme.)

I think a better way to put it would be like this.

"It isn't that there's zero acceleration, it's that there's zero acceleration, relative to the space continuum, that your spaceship would be in.
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
Yeah. There is no up, down, left and right in space. It is all about orientation.
True, once you get deeper into it everything turns into perspective and orientation, unless we one day declare an absolute galactic center as an absolute reference point, but modern physics suggest there is no "absolute" center, so we'll likely always have to reference things in terms of "orientation from the perspective of xyz coordinate + Vector/Velocity".
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Also, gravity is warped space-time.
what does that mean exactly?

Space is 3d, there is an up, galaxies and solar systems tend to form into disk shapes though due to how particles interact and collide when spun, causing the top and bottom of a spear to collapse into it self. But to answer your primary question, space is 3d, our solar system is flying through space, I find when I'm teaching this visual helps illustrate that:

tumblr_mj0vvcqnZx1qdlh1io1_400.gif
yep, this illustration blew me mind. i had no idea it was like this.
 

Krathoon

Member
what does that mean exactly?


yep, this illustration blew me mind. i had no idea it was like this.
Really, the whole warped space-time thing goes over my head, but that concept is what is behind gravatational theory.

It is like how the planets have lots of mass and they actually bend space around them.
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
what does that mean exactly?


yep, this illustration blew me mind. i had no idea it was like this.
Gravity isn't really a thing (according to modern physics) its just the name we give to the result of mass interacting with the fabric of spacetime. The more mass an object has, the great an affect it has on spacetime, distorting it. Here is fairly good and understandable video of the theory:




Keep in mind, our entire understanding of the universe is based on mathematical principles that we we theorize about and have seen examples of these theories in action in the observable universe. That doesn't mean we are right or our theories are correct, but right now much of the math lines up, and the math that doesn't line up (like about how much matter SHOULD be in the universe based off our predictions) we come up with new theories (like dark matter) to fill in the gaps in our understanding and make the numbers make sense. On the scale of understanding the universe, we're probably equivalent to kindergarteners trying to learn calculous between permanent marker sniffing sessions, but we're trying, and our understanding of the universe is changing all the time.
 
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Krathoon

Member
I do like the idea that mass can mess with reality itself.

Then, you got the whole relativity thing were time moves slower for you when you accelerate. So, time is a relative thing that can be manipulated.
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
I do like the idea that mass can mess with reality itself.

Then, you got the whole relativity thing were time moves slower for you when you accelerate. So, time is a relative thing that can be manipulated.
Do you not like it or not believe it? The idea of "What is reality" is, to me, an even deeper rabbit hole than talking about space and gravity. Relativity + the basic concept of what time is and that it can be manipulated by mass and velocity just make me want to crawl into a ball and believe in simulation theory.
 
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Krathoon

Member
Do you not like it or not believe it? The idea of "What is reality" is, to me, an even deeper rabbit hole than talking about space and gravity. Relativity + the basic concept of what time is and that it can be manipulated by mass and velocity just make me want to crawl into a ball and believe in simulation theory.
Yeah. It does make things suspicious, like we are living in a simulation. Then you have the weird stuff that happens with light and particles depending on if they are "observed" or not.
 
what does that mean exactly?
Yes space is flat, but there's no direction because it's not a single surface like a floor, it's more like a medium with countless layers like a lattice.
The models we usually use to illustrate this is a single flat surface and the objects with mass "sinking" into the surface, but it would be more accurate to say that the medium warps around the object instead, and this warping, the changing of a "straight" path, iz what we call gravity (which is why gravity isn't an actual force, but an effect).
We have no way to truly illustrate what the fabric of space actually looks like though, since space and time are the same thing.

Brian cox has some good videos on this subject, I think he explained it on rogan as well
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Yeah. It does make things suspicious, like we are living in a simulation.

No, I'm pretty confident we are not. There is a lot of stuff we don't understand about reality, but that doesn't mean we're living in a simulation.

Then you have the weird stuff that happens with light and particles depending on if they are "observed" or not.

You're referring to Quantum Superposition. It's complex, but certainly not weird.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
Space is 3d, there is an up, galaxies and solar systems tend to form into disk shapes though due to how particles interact and collide when spun, causing the top and bottom of a spear to collapse into it self. But to answer your primary question, space is 3d, our solar system is flying through space, I find when I'm teaching this visual helps illustrate that:

tumblr_mj0vvcqnZx1qdlh1io1_400.gif
This is why any time travel show or when someone goes "incorporeal" they ought to IMMEDIATELY end up adrift in space with the Earth (and solar system) looooong gone.
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
This is why any time travel show or when someone goes "incorporeal" they ought to IMMEDIATELY end up adrift in space with the Earth (and solar system) looooong gone.
Well to be fair, things like the Tardis are specifically Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space" that last part is specifically in regards to making sure the tardis isn't at just the right time, but the right place in space.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Gravity isn't really a thing (according to modern physics) its just the name we give to the result of mass interacting with the fabric of spacetime. The more mass an object has, the great an affect it has on spacetime, distorting it. Here is fairly good and understandable video of the theory:




Keep in mind, our entire understanding of the universe is based on mathematical principles that we we theorize about and have seen examples of these theories in action in the observable universe. That doesn't mean we are right or our theories are correct, but right now much of the math lines up, and the math that doesn't line up (like about how much matter SHOULD be in the universe based off our predictions) we come up with new theories (like dark matter) to fill in the gaps in our understanding and make the numbers make sense. On the scale of understanding the universe, we're probably equivalent to kindergarteners trying to learn calculous between permanent marker sniffing sessions, but we're trying, and our understanding of the universe is changing all the time.

Thanks for that link. Just finished watching it and now i do feel like a kindergartner because i understood a total of maybe 2 things in that entire video.

tumblr_mj0vvcqnZx1qdlh1io1_400.gif


Another stupid question regarding this gif. if we are moving through space time, is the space around earth constantly changing? Like if we put an object out on space and make it come to a full stop and have it just sit there outside of the earth's orbit, would it eventually get farther and farther away or would it continue to move like the sun and the planets in this video?
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
Well to be fair, things like the Tardis are specifically Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space" that last part is specifically in regards to making sure the tardis isn't at just the right time, but the right place in space.
Addriiiiifffttt iiinnnnn ssspppaaccee space space space
mlzxbQL.jpeg
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Thanks for that link. Just finished watching it and now i do feel like a kindergartner because i understood a total of maybe 2 things in that entire video.

tumblr_mj0vvcqnZx1qdlh1io1_400.gif


Another stupid question regarding this gif. if we are moving through space time, is the space around earth constantly changing? Like if we put an object out on space and make it come to a full stop and have it just sit there outside of the earth's orbit, would it eventually get farther and farther away or would it continue to move like the sun and the planets in this video?

It would continue to move like everything else in our solar system.

The object would continue to orbit the Sun along with the rest of the solar system. This is because the entire solar system is moving through space together, held together by the Sun's gravity.
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
Thanks for that link. Just finished watching it and now i do feel like a kindergartner because i understood a total of maybe 2 things in that entire video.

tumblr_mj0vvcqnZx1qdlh1io1_400.gif


Another stupid question regarding this gif. if we are moving through space time, is the space around earth constantly changing? Like if we put an object out on space and make it come to a full stop and have it just sit there outside of the earth's orbit, would it eventually get farther and farther away or would it continue to move like the sun and the planets in this video?
another already answered it, but if you could theoretically make that object stop completely (meaning have no influence by the objects around it) yes it would appear to us as if it were shooting off away from us extremely fast. Think of it like this: If you are driving on the highway at 85 miles per hour, and everyone around you is driving at 85 miles and hour, the other cars more or less look like they aren't moving much compared to you, everyone is in the same reference frame basically at 85 miles per hour, so its easy to steer around and move together. If one of those cars in front of you went from 85 to 0 instantly, well... it would appear like that person just shot backwards at 85miles per hour relative to you. That's what would happen if you theoretically could make an object stop dead in space.
 
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Like if we put an object out on space and make it come to a full stop and have it just sit there outside of the earth's orbit, would it eventually get farther and farther away or would it continue to move like the sun and the planets in this video?
yes and no.
"movement" is relative, you can't really come to a "stop" in space unless you are in some region where there's literally nothing, because even individual galaxies attract each other with gravity.
So in order to become "stationary" outside of earth's orbit, you'd actively have to counteract every source of gravity in the solar system that will make you fall towards it, just accelerating away from the sun won't do it, because you'd still be following curved paths made by other large bodies like Jupiter.

Superman could probably sit in space and watch the sun move away from him though.
 
Most people don't really question why the orbital plane of the solar system or the disc shape of galaxies exist, why the default perspective of "exiting the solar system" is by flying past Neptune instead of perpendicular to the orbital plane, etc. We also conceptualize our modern understanding of gravity through representing spacetime as a 2d field with depressions in it:

C3pvRgf.jpeg


So I will give him props for paying attention to these things and putting together a model in his head based on it.
I didn't understand the text of your post but I just wanted to say I'm glad that giant space net caught Earth before we fell down too far. Whew.
 

Singular7

Member
Another stupid question regarding this gif. if we are moving through space time, is the space around earth constantly changing? Like if we put an object out on space and make it come to a full stop and have it just sit there outside of the earth's orbit, would it eventually get farther and farther away or would it continue to move like the sun and the planets in this video?

Love the honest questioning process.

Depends on the size probably, at least according to the current theory (which is most certainly wrong)

For some reason a bunch of giant nuclear rocks are floating around a contained bubble called the universe and for some reason circle around each other. (so they say)

Why are they moving? How did they get here? What is the container of the universe?

Oye.
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
This is because the entire solar system is moving through space together, held together by the Sun's gravity.
ok thanks. i guess i was confused because i thought of space as a vaccuum. crazy to think that this space is moving at the same time swirling around the galaxy.
 

sono

Gold Member
Also, gravity is warped space-time.
Yes that is the Einstein "discovery"

An idea that occurred to me which is there is a lot of human analysis of what is matter (sub atomic et al) , but not much corresponding analysis of this "quality" of the universe that is "spacetime" - that is the quality of the universe that itself can be warped by mass.

so we need to focus on the deep analysis of spacetime , (we "get" mass)

but hey what do I know
 
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RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
Chap if you're finding it difficult to wrap your head around space, wait till you read up on Quantum Entanglement.. thats a fucking dozey

Also if you can, download all of Brian Cox's BBC Solar System series, he explains everything about everything incredibly well without all that American Whizzbang ADHD shite that their celebrity scientists do
 
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winjer

Gold Member
Truth be told, we are just primates, for whom the most complex things to do, should be hunting and gathering in the jungle and savannas.
But in a stroke of outstanding odds in biological evolution, our brains can do math, art, science and so much more.
We were not meant to grasp such concepts, but that we do, is a remarkable achievement for our species.
 

Krathoon

Member
I do wonder if what people see as ghosts is some kind of "perception of reality" thing, but that is fringe science and will get you ran out of town.
 

Hookshot

Member
Like if we put an object out on space and make it come to a full stop and have it just sit there outside of the earth's orbit, would it eventually get farther and farther away or would it continue to move like the sun and the planets in this video?
That's one of the reasons many forms of popular media time travel wouldn't really work. If you jump forwards or backwards you'd wind up in space. If you went a week back in time, the Earth wouldn't get to where you have jumped from in the universe for a week, and if you went forwards for a week, the Earth would have already travelled that weeks worth of distance away from you.
 
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It is estimated that there are between 200 billion to 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe.

Since we can only look so far back in time (about 13.8 billion years) I really do wonder what lies beyond the observable universe.

I heard some estimates that the universe extends far beyond that to 93 billion light-years which is mind bogglingly insane.

Chap if you're finding it difficult to wrap your head around space, wait till you read up on Quantum Entanglement.. thats a fucking dozey

Also if you can, download all of Brian Cox's BBC Solar System series, he explains everything about everything incredibly well without all that American Whizzbang ADHD shite that their celebrity scientists do

Brian Cox is the GOAT. I hope to go to one of his shows someday before my time is up.
 
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RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
Since we can only look so far back in time (about 13.8 billion years) I really do wonder what lies beyond the observable universe.

I heard some estimates that the universe extends far beyond that to 93 billion light-years which is mind bogglingly insane.



Brian Cox is the GOAT. I hope to go to one of his shows someday before my time is up.
He's pure classy, I've been to his shows and they're just like you would imagine, he's an incredibly accomplished orator and can explain the most insane complex stuff so us caveman can get a small grasp of it.



As for the beyond the observable universe, who knows, hell we can't wrap our head around what we can observe FFS let alone the shit that lies outside, any time I think about just our galaxy and the insane amount of stars/planets it blows my mind then you think of the amount of galaxy's in something like the Laniakea supercluster of which were a part of and it just goes into realms of madness what could be out there, huge space faring civilisations, galactic federations all of it entirely plausible and possible given the sheer numbers of life habital planets involved and we're stuck on this wee rock hurtling through space whilst humanity holds it breath awaiting the outcomes of a fucking US election...
 

Zathalus

Member
Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.
 
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