This Looks Like The Right Place

To me void and nothing is synonymous.

Yeah, I've been listening to that dialog too- but it seems to me that this implies that without matter to fill it, space would not exist; that the physical region beyond the golf ball (or whatever) sized glob of all matter that existed at the instant of the big bang did not exist. I say this defies logic. It implies that unless we can measure this region, or that there is some object present in it, that it doesn't exist. Our theoretical definition of it is that which doesn't exist. It's like the midieval argument about the tree falling in the forest; this may have puzzled the philosophers of the time, but from our slightly more informed modern viewpoint, we now know the sound does not depend on a human observer to exist. That region where now exist the furthest galaxies in the universe surely existed before those galaxies were there, although void of both matter as well as theoretical definition... Paul

Yes, I think you're right. All we know is our observable universe. In this observable universe, space and matter seem to be interdependent on each other.

I think the right interpretation is consistent agnosticism about what might have been "outside" the God Particle (or the Cosmic Egg, if you prefer). All we know scientifically is our own universe, and our own universe (space-time-matter-energy) came from one "singularity."

The thing that the scientists are trying to tell us (I think) is that the void itself is expanding, but not into a separate space that was previously empty.

Yes, this is "illogical," in a sense. Facts sometimes are.

Marty

"Paul Ryan" SNIP

Obviously neither Paul, Marty or the other great thinkers have had the dubious distinction of watching a fat woman get in or out of girdle. Or spandex for that matter...shudder. I was young foolish and desperate ONCE. I can visualize what you are talking about...but I don't know how to explain it so anyone could understand as I've neither the math or verbage. damn.