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My kid asked me how far could I go and still be going up? I need to sharpen my physics skills. What is the answer to his question? Which way is up in outer space? Is there no 'up' and 'down?' Or is there just 'here'and 'there?' Or is it really 'now' and 'then?'
Theoretical Physics
Science
Astronomy
Physics
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 26
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Space, as far as we know, is unlimited in distance on all directions. Without gravity there is no sense of up.
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SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S.
That is up for debate, but the general conciseness is if you you COULD go forever in one direction you would return to your starting place because space / time is closed.
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'Up' is a human construct. A human perception. Up would be however you define it, but it's generally going to be in the opposite direction of any gravity you're experiencing (on a rotating ship, for example.)
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Up is arbitrary. Try this! The universe is infinite but the location of any given planet is a finite point. That means every single point is the center of the universe! I had a math teacher show me the math. Something about dividing a finite number by an infinite number.
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Simple answer for your kid, Try this......There are literally an infinite number of ways to go up in space. Pick any direction point and push off. You are going up. The universe is expanding like a balloon, So any direction you go can be up. For the question of now and then. It would be now and then since gravity is time. Easy breezy.
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Ok, we have covered North /South, up and down, infinite time, x,y and z axis.
Are we going forward or backwards?
Are we going forward or backwards?
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