Originally posted by apathist
originally posted by [b] humy
Its volume in three dimensions; I am sure you would find that a disappointing answer but its like "asking what is time if time is 'something'?"; or like asking "what is the meaning of life if meaning is 'something'"; it is extremely unlikely you would ever get a satisfying and reasonably meaningful answer.
...[text shortened]... other than what we find here in our universe. Here you're talking about philosophy, not science.[/b]
Its volume in three dimensions; I am sure you would find that a disappointing answer but ...
....
If that were so, then there is nothing to expand or curve,
How on earth do you conclude that? Why can't space curve or expand if it is volume in three dimensions?
As far as current science generally assumes, there was nothing, not even empty space, ...
Look what you just did. You made a distinction between 'nothing' and 'empty space'.
Correct. Empty space isn't 'nothing'.
Obvious as sunshine you imply that empty space is something other than nothing.
Correct. That is what I have been explicitly saying all along. Space is something.
As far as current science generally assumes, there was nothing, not even empty space, surrounding the original singularity (at the start of BB)
...
I am sure science does not make that assumption.
Then you assume wrong. Science quite rightly makes that assumption for the reasons I just gave. I have studied basic physics at university and I can tell you science DOES indeed make the assumption that there was no space surrounding it; and for some good reasons.
Science makes assumptions based only on evidence, and we no evidence other than what we find here in our universe.
Exactly! so where is the empirical evidence (or, if not, some deductive reason to believe) within our universe that there was space outside that initial singularity?
Here you're talking about philosophy, not science.
No, I am talking about what science says. And it wouldn't be even valid 'philosophy' let alone science to assert without evidence that space existed outside that initial singularity; that would be just wild speculation.