To infinity and beyond

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It can never be explained. When I was little, I tried to imagine outer space, closing my eyes and thinking that somehow, it must end some place. Maybe we are in a great big box, or a big tank, like it's square and that ultimately you would reach one side or another eventually.

I have no idea how this all works; I simply can't imagine how space never ends. Similarly, if we look at the internet, that all started somewhere, on one computer that linked to another and another. I'm trying to make an analogy but it's not very good I know. Do any others have thoughts on this?

Are you talking about where space physically ends, or when space ends?

If it's the former, then it might help to think of the universe in terms of planet earth - that is, spherical. One cannot reach the end of earth, you would merely go around it. The same concept can be applied to space.

If you're talking about the latter, the universe will ultimately end. Whether or not it will bring about the beginnings of a new universe is merely conjecture.

But on earth gravity constantly pulls us towards the core. In space, we do not have this problem. Thus if the universe has an end and one could build a ship fast enough, you could reach that end.

Faster than light travel is impossible. Isn't space non-euclidean anyway? It's probably possible that you will loop back around to your starting position if you go in a straight line forever.

I find infinity easy to visualise, although I always imagined that infinities can be in ratios to each other.

Good question! Both, really.

Nobody is saying it isn't.

I figured you were implying it in the below.

The universe is supposedly expanding faster than the speed of light (or everything in the universe is shrinking at a rate which makes the distances between galaxies appear to expand faster than the speed of light). So there probably wouldn't be a way to reach the end. And again, I imagine it is non-euclidean, it probably has no boundary.