Teralek wrote:There could be stuff outside space yes. This is not impossible. It's probably inaccessible though.
If one can only experience what one has access to, then accessibility may be significant.
If we reconsider the relationship between a virtual universe (VU) simulated on a computer and the physical universe (PU), a VU may or may not have some access to the PU.
If the VU has a user interface, then it may receive input from a human inhabitant of the PU. However, even if a VU inhabitant has a "sense" that this input is from beyond its "universe", how can it know this isn't a false sense provided by the program - unless it has access to the program which defines its nature? Even if it receives detailed images from the PU via a roving camera, how can it know these images are "supernatural" in origin, and not just a weird dream?
A human observer with total access to the VU program and data can be in a position to know everything about the VU and distinguish between VU and PU, but can this human tell where VU space is located relative to PU space?
Likewise, the PU could be virtual relative to a "super universe" (SU) which hosts the PU, with its own nature and space. A human may or may not have access to input from the SU. How can this human know without having access to the program that defines the nature of the PU?
If a man is unable to tell where knowable VU space is located relative to PU space, how can he hope to tell where PU space is located relative to conceptual SU space?
Teralek wrote:My only problem is with people saying that NOTHING can BE outside the UNIVERSE because the term means EVERYTHING.
Which dictionaries suggest 'universe' means everything?
Teralek wrote:Well my problem with this is that scientists often talk about a multi-verse reality. Implying that other space/time continuum(s) may exist which are not connected to this one. Whatever it is that separates them it is not space/time.
Again it may be easier to consider virtual universes which can be more accessible and knowable. A program could manage multiple space-times to simulate a kind of virtual multi-verse, or the same program (or different programs) can be run multiple times to simulate multiple virtual universes. If on the same computer or network, information can potentially be shared allowing greater connectivity between multiple VUs. If they are run on totally separate computers then how are they connected? Perhaps they can be connected in the mind of a single human who observes more than one of these? Ultimately they are connected to same physical universe which hosts them all, but if they are virtual are they considered to be part of the physical universe or separate?
Teralek wrote:So basically we need to come to terms with the "terms" or we would not be able to communicate efficiently about this, as everyone is talking about a different thing when they say "Universe", including scientists [...] Thus we must decide simply if by Universe we mean OUR space time continuum OR all space/time continuum(s) and all other possible realities, whatever they may be.
Philosophy Explorer wrote:This is the definition I go by: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/universe which is different from others definition. Here I'm saying that our universe is finite in length and time (relative to the Big Bang). There may be a space beyond our universe into which our universe is expanding into.
The first dictionary.com definition (similar to definitions in other dictionaries and Wikipedia) and the original question seems to suggest "universe" in this topic means physical universe - all physical matter and energy and the space it occupies - all that is believed to have originated from a BIg Bang at a single location and
appears to be expanding - not necessarily everything.
Anyone who is not comfortable calling this "the universe" could call this "cosmos" (if accepted that it is an orderly system) or another name.