Thursday, October 12, 2023

mind blown

I'm not sure I understand the notion that the space between galaxies is increasing like how fabric can be stretched.* Are we saying that the "fabric" of space is stretching but the raw distance (measured in units that are themselves stretching) is not increasing? So if I took 10 years to reach Galaxy X, then took the same trip 1,000 years later, my ship would take the same amount of time to reach Galaxy X even though the "fabric" between me and X has stretched significantly in the interim?

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*I mean, yes, I have a basic understanding of the "stretchiness" concept of space-time—how gravity can be seen as a warping of the fabric of space-time and all that. What I lack is the math and the imagination to truly visualize what all of that means on a practical level. Hence the practical space-travel question I've posed above.



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