Attempting to understand the nature of space has always been a prime occupation for philosophers and scientists. Perhaps as a result of this considerable discussion, it is difficult to provide an uncontroversial and clear definition of the nature of space, except its physical definition (see below). This article looks at the way space is dealt with variously by physicists, mathematicians and Philosophers, and at the relation between space and the mind. The term philosophy derives from a combination of the Greek words philos meaning love and sophia meaning wisdom. ... // What is science? There are different theories of what science is. ...

Space in physics

Space is one of the few fundamental quantities in physics meaning it can't be defined via other quantities because there is nothing more fundamental known at present. Thus, similar to the definition of other fundamental quantities (like time and mass), space is defined via measurement. Currently, the standard space interval, called a standard meter or simply meter, is defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second (exact). A fundamental is something basic and important which other things are built upon. ... 8:17 am, August 6, 1945, Japanese time. ... Mass is a property of physical objects that, roughly speaking, measures the amount of matter they contain. ... In classical physics and engineering, measurement is the the result of comparing physical quantities of objects, relations (e. ... metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) The metre is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units. ...

In classical physics, space is a three-dimensional Euclidean space where any position can be described using three coordinates. Relativistic physics examines spacetime rather than space; spacetime is modeled as a four-dimensional manifold, and currently, there are theories that can support even eleven-dimensional spaces. Classical physics is physics based on principles developed before the rise of quantum theory, including the special theory of relativity. ... In mathematics and astronomy, Euclidean space is a generalization of the 2- and 3-dimensional spaces studied by Euclid. ... See Cartesian coordinate system or Coordinates (elementary mathematics) for a more elementary introduction to this topic. ... Two-dimensional visualization of space-time distortion. ... World line of the orbit of the Earth depicted as a circle in two spatial dimensions X and Y (the plane of the Earth orbit) and a time dimension, Z, making the circle appear as a helix. ... This is the current mathematics collaboration of the week! Please help improve it to featured article standard at manifold/rewrite. ...

Before Einstein's work on relativistic physics, time and space were seen as independent dimensions. Einstein's work unified the two into spacetime. In spacetime, measurements of space and time are held to be relative to velocity. World line of the orbit of the Earth depicted as a circle in two spatial dimensions X and Y (the plane of the Earth orbit) and a time dimension, Z, making the circle appear as a helix. ...

Astronomy and space

In astronomy, space refers collectively to the relatively empty parts of the universe. Any area outside the atmospheres of any celestial body can be considered 'space'. In particular, the boundary between space and Earth's atmosphere is conventionally set at the Karman line. See outer space. In ancient Greece and other early civilizations, astronomy consisted largely of astrometry, measuring positions of stars and planets in the sky. ... The deepest visible-light image of the cosmos. ... Atmosphere is the general name for a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass. ... See lists of astronomical objects for a list of the various lists of astronomical objects in Wikipedia. ... Layers of Atmosphere (NOAA) Earths atmosphere is the layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth and retained by the Earths gravity. ... Layers of Atmosphere (NOAA) The Karman Line is an internationally designated altitude commonly used to define outer space. ... Outer space (also called just space), as a name for a region, refers to the relatively empty parts of the Universe, outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ...

Mathematics and space

In mathematics, a space is a set, with some particular properties and usually some additional structure. Often a space is a vector space or a specific variety thereof. Kinds of spaces include: Main article: History of mathematics The evolution of mathematics can be seen to be an ever increasing series of abstractions. ... In mathematics, a set can be thought of as any well-defined collection of things considered as a whole. ... In mathematics, a structure on a set is some additional mathematical objects that, loosely speaking, attach to the set, making it easier to visualize or work with. ... A vector space (or linear space) is the basic object of study in the branch of mathematics called linear algebra. ...

• Banach space
• Euclidean space
• Hilbert space
• Metric space
• Probability space
• Projective space
• Topological space
• Vector space

In mathematics, Banach spaces, named after Stefan Banach who studied them, are one of the central objects of study in functional analysis. ... In mathematics and astronomy, Euclidean space is a generalization of the 2- and 3-dimensional spaces studied by Euclid. ... In mathematics, a Hilbert space is an inner product space that is complete with respect to the norm defined by the inner product. ... In mathematics, a metric space is a set where a notion of distance between elements of the set is defined. ... In mathematics, a probability space or probability measure is a set S, together with a σ-algebra X on S and a measure P on that σ-algebra such that P(S) = 1. ... In mathematics, a projective space is a fundamental construction from any vector space. ... Topological spaces are structures that allow one to formalize concepts such as convergence, connectedness and continuity. ... A vector space (or linear space) is the basic object of study in the branch of mathematics called linear algebra. ...

Measurement

Main article: Measurement In classical physics and engineering, measurement is the the result of comparing physical quantities of objects, relations (e. ...

The measurement of physical space has long been important. Geometry, the name given to the branch of mathematics which measures spatial relations, was popularised by the ancient Greeks, although earlier societies had developed measuring systems. The International System of Units, (SI), is now the most common system of units used in the measuring of space, and is almost universally used within science. Geometry (from the Greek words Geo = earth and metro = measure) is the branch of mathematics first popularized in ancient Greek culture by Thales (circa 624-547 BC) dealing with spatial relationships. ... Main article: History of mathematics The evolution of mathematics can be seen to be an ever increasing series of abstractions. ... Ancient Greece is the term used to describe the Greek_speaking world in ancient times. ... The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from the French phrase, Système International dUnités) is the most widely used system of units. ... // What is science? There are different theories of what science is. ...

Geography is the branch of science concerned with identifying and describing the Earth, utilising spatial awareness to try and understand why things exist in specific locations. Cartography is the mapping of spaces to allow better navigation, for visualisation purposes and to act as a locational device. Astronomy is the science involved with the observation, explanation and measuring of objects in outer space. Earth, also known as the Earth, Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third planet outward from the Sun. ... Cartography or mapmaking (in Greek chartis = map and graphein = write) is the study and practice of making maps or globes. ... In ancient Greece and other early civilizations, astronomy consisted largely of astrometry, measuring positions of stars and planets in the sky. ... Outer space (also called just space), as a name for a region, refers to the relatively empty parts of the Universe, outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ...

The philosophy of space

Space has a range of definitions.

• One view of space is that it is part of the fundamental structure of the universe, a set of dimensions in which objects are separated and located, have size and shape, and through which they can move.

• A contrasting view is that space is part of a fundamental abstract mathematical conceptual framework (together with time and number) within which we compare and quantify the distance between objects, their sizes, their shapes, and their speeds. In this view space does not refer to any kind of entity that is a "container" that objects "move through".

These opposing views are relevant also to definitions of time. Space is typically described as having three dimensions, and that three numbers are needed to specify the size of any object and/or its location with respect to another location. Modern physics does not treat space and time as independent dimensions, but treats both as features of spacetime – a conception that challenges intuitive notions of distance and time. Dimension (from Latin measured out) is, in essence, the number of degrees of freedom available for movement in a space. ... As used in philosophy, object is a thing, an entity, or a being. ... This article is about the concept of abstraction in general. ... A concept is an abstract, universal idea, notion or entity that serves to designate a category or class of entities, events or relations. ... 8:17 am, August 6, 1945, Japanese time. ... A number is an abstract entity used originally to describe quantity. ... Quantity is a generic term used when referring to the measurement (count, amount) of a scalar, vector, number of items or to some other way of denominating the value of a collection or group of items. ... 8:17 am, August 6, 1945, Japanese time. ... The willingness to question previously held truths and search for new answers resulted in a period of major scientific advancements, now known as the Scientific Revolution. ... World line of the orbit of the Earth depicted as a circle in two spatial dimensions X and Y (the plane of the Earth orbit) and a time dimension, Z, making the circle appear as a helix. ...

An issue of philosophical debate is whether space is an ontological entity itself, or simply a conceptual framework we need to think (and talk) about the world. Another way to frame this is to ask, "Can space itself be measured, or is space part of the measurement system?" The same debate applies also to time, and an important formulation in both areas was given by Immanuel Kant. The term philosophy derives from a combination of the Greek words philos meaning love and sophia meaning wisdom. ... In philosophy, ontology (from the Greek όντος = part. ... A concept is an abstract, universal idea, notion or entity that serves to designate a category or class of entities, events or relations. ... 8:17 am, August 6, 1945, Japanese time. ... Immanuel Kant (April 22, 1724 – February 12, 1804) was a German philosopher and geographer from Prussia, generally regarded as one of Europes most influential thinkers and the last major philosopher of the Enlightenment. ...

Immanuel Kant, in the Critique of Pure Reason, described space as an a priori notion that allows us (together with other a priori notions such as time) to comprehend sense experience. With Kant, neither space nor time are conceived as substances, but rather both are elements of a systematic framework we use to structure our experience. Spatial measurements are used to quantify how far apart objects are, and temporal measurements are used to quantify how far apart events occur. Immanuel Kant (April 22, 1724 – February 12, 1804) was a German philosopher and geographer from Prussia, generally regarded as one of Europes most influential thinkers and the last major philosopher of the Enlightenment. ... The Critique of Pure Reason (Kritik der reinen Vernunft), first published in 1781 with a second edition in 1987, is widely regarded as the most influential and widely read work of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. ... A priori is a Latin phrase meaning from the former or less literally before experience. In much of the modern Western tradition, the term a priori is considered to mean propositional knowledge that can be had without, or prior to, experience. ... 8:17 am, August 6, 1945, Japanese time. ... in philosophy, Substance is that element of an object without which it would not exist. ... In software development, a framework is a defined support structure in which another software project can be organized and developed. ... In classical physics and engineering, measurement is the the result of comparing physical quantities of objects, relations (e. ... Quantity is a generic term used when referring to the measurement (count, amount) of a scalar, vector, number of items or to some other way of denominating the value of a collection or group of items. ... Etymology: The word object comes from the latin word objectum a noun form of objectus which in turn comes from objicere, which means to throw or put something before someone. ... There are many kinds of events. ...

Similar philosophical questions concerning space include: Is space absolute or purely relational? Does space have one correct geometry, or is the geometry of space just a convention? Historical positions in these debates have been taken by Isaac Newton (space is absolute), Gottfried Leibniz (space is relational), and Henri Poincaré (spatial geometry is a convention). Two important thought-experiments connected with these questions are: Newton's bucket argument and Poincaré's sphere-world. Sir Isaac Newton in Godfrey Knellers 1689 portrait Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1727 by the Julian calendar in use in England at the time; or 4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727 by the Gregorian calendar) was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and alchemist who... Gottfried Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (also Leibnitz) (Leipzig July 1 (June 21 O.S.), 1646 – November 14, 1716 in Hannover) was a German philosopher, scientist, mathematician, diplomat, librarian, and lawyer of Sorb descent. ... Henri Poincaré, photograph from the frontispiece of the 1913 edition of Last Thoughts Jules Henri Poincaré (April 29, 1854 – July 17, 1912), generally known as Henri Poincaré, was one of Frances greatest mathematicians, theoretical scientists and a philosopher of science. ... Newton advanced his so-called bucket argument in support of the belief that space is a substance existing independently of the matter it contains. ... The idea of a sphere-world was constructed by Henri Poincaré while pursuing his argument for conventionalism (see philosophy of space and time), offered a thought experiment about a sphere with strange properties. ...

The psychology of space

The way in which space is perceived is an area which psychologists first began to study in the middle of the 19th century, and it is now thought by those concerned with such studies to be a distinct branch within psychology. Psychologists analysing the perception of space are concerned with how recognition of an objects physical appearance or its interactions are perceived. Psychology (Classical Greek: psyche = soul or mind, logos = study of) is an academic and applied field involving the study of behaviour, mind and thought and, frequently the application of such knowledge to various spheres of human activity, including problems of individuals daily lives and the treatment of mental illness. ...

Other, more specialised topics studied include amodal perception and object permanence. The perception of surroundings is important due to its necessary relevance to survival, especially with regards to hunting and self preservation. "Veridical perception" is the term used to describe the processing of the information provided by the sensory organs to an extent whereby it allows interaction with the actuality of that perceived. Amodal perception is the term used to describe the full perception of a physical structure when it is only partially perceived, for example a table will be perceived as a continuous surface even if it is partially obscured by a book placed upon it. ... Object permanence is the term used to describe the awareness that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible. ... PSYCHOLOGY In psychology and the cognitive sciences, perception is the process of acquiring, interpreting, selecting, and organizing sensory information. ... Hunting is, in its most general sense, the pursuit of a target. ... Self preservation is part of an animals instinct which demands that the organism survives at all costs. ...

It is worth noting that the way we perceive space may not necessarily be representative of the actuality of space.

Anxiety and space

Space can also cause anxiety in people, with agoraphobia manifesting itself in some people as a fear of open spaces, and claustrophobia being the fear of enclosed spaces. Astrophobia is the fear of celestial space, Kenophobia is the fear of empty spaces and spacephobia is the fear of outer space. Anxiety is a complex combination of the feeling of fear, apprehension and worry often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, chest pain and/or shortness of breath. ... Agoraphobia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder that involves the fear of enclosed or confined spaces. ... Outer space (also called just space), as a name for a region, refers to the relatively empty parts of the Universe, outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ...

Use of space

The definition of physical space in relation to ownership, in which space is seen as property, has long been an important issue. Whilst some cultures assert the rights of the individual in terms of ownership, other cultures will identify with a communal approach to land ownership. Spatial planning is a method of regulating the use of space at land-level, with decisions made at regional, national and international levels. Space can also impact on human and cultural behaviour, being an important factor in architecture, where it will impact on the design of buildings and structures, and on farming. Ownership is the socially supported power to exclusively control and use for ones own purposes, that which is owned. ... // Use of the term The concept of property or ownership has no single or universally accepted definition. ... Spatial planning refers to the methods used by the public sector to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. ... A region can be any area that has some unifying feature. ... National is the Japanese brand under which Matsushita products are sold. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Architecture (in Greek αρχή = first and τέχνη = craftsmanship) is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. ... Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ...

Ownership of space is not restricted to land. Ownership of Airspace and of waters is decided internationally. Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a particular country or, more generally, any specific portion of the atmosphere. ... The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems (aquifers), and wetlands. ...

Public space is a term used to define areas of land which are open to all, whilst personal space is the term used to define the amount of space a person likes to maintain between their own person and that of other people. One definition of public space or a public place is a place where anyone has a right to come without paying an entrance or other fee. ... Personal space is the region surrounding each person, which if violated makes them feel uncomfortable. ...

Quotations

"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." - Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Noël Adams in an undated publicity photograph Douglas Noël Adams (March 11, 1952 – May 11, 2001), also known as Bop Ad or Bob (after his illegible signature) or by his initials DNA, was a British comic radio dramatist and author, most notably of The Hitchhikers Guide... The cover of the first novel in the Hitchhikers series, from a late 1990s printing. ...

"Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought-- particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things." - Woody Allen Woody Allen (born December 1, 1935), is an American short story writer, screenwriter, and film director whose large body of work and cerebral style have made him one of the most widely respected and prolific filmmakers in the modern era. ...

"Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. ...The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who do survive." - Frank Herbert, Dune Frank Patrick Herbert (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author. ... Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ...

"Space is to place as eternity is to time." - Joseph Joubert Joseph Joubert (born May 7, 1754 in Montignac/Périgord, died May 4, 1824 in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne) was a French moralist and essayist. ...

"Einstein's space is no closer to reality than Van Gogh's sky. The glory of science is not in a truth more absolute than the truth of Bach or Tolstoy, but in the act of creation itself. The scientist's discoveries impose his own order on chaos, as the composer or painter imposes his; an order that always refers to limited aspects of reality, and is based on the observer's frame of reference, which differs from period to period as a Rembrant nude differs from a nude by Manet." - Arthur Koestler, The Act of Creation Arthur Koestler Arthur Koestler (September 5, 1905 - March 3, 1983) was a novelist, political activist, and social philosopher. ...

"Space, like time, engenders forgetfulness; but it does so by setting us bodily free from our surroundings and giving us back our primitive, unattached state" - Thomas Mann Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann (June 6, 1875 – August 12, 1955) was a German novelist, philanthropist and essayist, lauded principally for a series of highly symbolic and often ironic epic novels and mid-length stories, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and intellectual and an underlying...

"No creature loves an empty space;
Their bodies measure out their place" - Andrew Marvell, Upon Appleton House, to My Lord Fairfax Andrew Marvell (March 31, 1621 – August 16, 1678) was an English metaphysical poet, and the son of an Anglican clergyman. ...

"When we contemplate the whole globe as one great dewdrop, striped and dotted with continents and islands, flying through space with other stars all singing and shining together as one, the whole universe appears as an infinite storm of beauty." - John Muir, Travels in Alaska John Muir (April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914) was an environmentalist, naturalist, traveler, writer, inventor, and scientist. ...

"Space - the final frontier." - Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was born in El Paso, Texas, USA, and spent his boyhood in Los Angeles, California. ... The Enterprise boldly going where no man had gone before. ...

"I have sat by night beside a cold lake
And touched things smoother than moonlight on still water,
But the moon on this cloud sea is not human,
And here is no shore, no intimacy,
Only the start of space, the road to suns." - F.R. Scott, Trans Canada Francis Reginald Scott (Frank Scott, F.R. Scott) (August 1, 1899 - January 30, 1985) was a Canadian poet, intellectual and constitutional expert. ...

"Space is the breath of art." - Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was one of the most prominent architects of the first half of the 20th century. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has more media related to:

Space

• Metric space
• Distance
• Outer space
• Cosmos
• Manifold
• topological space
• Philosophy of physics
• Philosophy of space and time
• Psychology
• abstraction

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... In mathematics, a metric space is a set where a notion of distance between elements of the set is defined. ... personal space, proxemics. ... Outer space (also called just space), as a name for a region, refers to the relatively empty parts of the Universe, outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ... The cosmos is the universe, especially when thought of as an orderly or harmonious system. ... This is the current mathematics collaboration of the week! Please help improve it to featured article standard at manifold/rewrite. ... Topological spaces are structures that allow one to formalize concepts such as convergence, connectedness and continuity. ... Physics is the study of matter and energy and how it interacts. ... Philosophy of Space and Time is a branch of philosophy which deals with issues surrounding the ontology, epistemology and character of space and time. ... Psychology (Classical Greek: psyche = soul or mind, logos = study of) is an academic and applied field involving the study of behaviour, mind and thought and, frequently the application of such knowledge to various spheres of human activity, including problems of individuals daily lives and the treatment of mental illness. ... An abstraction is an idea, concept, or word which defines the phenomena which make up the concrete events or things which the abstraction refers to, the referents. ...

Reference

space perception. Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Accessed June 12, 2005. June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...