Space: the Final Frontier

[bperet]

We've discussed the many faces of "space" and how each person has a slightly different understanding of the word "space". I thought I'd start this topic as a summary of concepts, pulled from various dictionaries, as a starting point for a presentation for the web site:

Space
Noun

1. The unlimited or incalculably great three-dimensional realm or expanse in which all material objects are located and all events occur.
2. The portion or extent of this in a given instance; extent or room in three dimensions: the space occupied by a body.
3. Extent or area in two dimensions; a particular extent of surface: to fill out blank spaces in a document. Water covered a large space at the end of the valley.
4. Fine Arts.
   1. The designed and structured surface of a picture: In Mondrian's later work he organized space in highly complex rhythms.
   2. The illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface.
5. Outer space (space beyond the atmosphere of the earth.)
6. Deep space (space beyond the limits of the solar system.)
7. A seat, berth, or room on a train, airplane, etc.
8. A place available for a particular purpose: a parking space.
9. Linear distance; a particular distance: trees separated by equal spaces.
10. Mathematics.
    1. A system of objects with relations between the objects defined.
    2. A set of elements or points satisfying specified geometric postulates: non-Euclidean space.
11. Extent, or a particular extent, of time: a space of two hours.
12. An interval of time; a while: After a space he continued his story.
13. An area or interval allowed for or taken by advertising, as in a periodical, on the radio, etc.
14. Music. the interval between two adjacent lines of the staff.
15. An interval or blank area in text: a space between the letters.
16. Printing. One of the blank pieces of metal, less than type-high, used to separate words, sentences, etc.
17. Telegraphy. An interval during the transmitting of a message when the key is not in contact.
18. Radio or television broadcast time allowed or available for a program, advertisement, etc.
19. Freedom or opportunity to express oneself, resolve a personal difficulty, be alone, etc.; allowance, understanding, or noninterference: Right now, you can help by giving me some space.
20. Psychology
    1. Psychological space: personality components, will, behavioral potentials and expectations.
    2. Cultural space: meanings and values created by culture.
    3. Social space: rules and conventions imposed by society.
    4. Ecological space: the nearby geophysical environment in which we exist
    5. Intentional space: multidimensional structure within which we are simultaneously located physically, psychologically, and socioculturally as a sociocultural agent, as an actor with purposes.
21. Spiritual
    1. Psychic space: freedom from thoughts and feelings of others.
    2. Meditative space: quieting of the mind.

Verb

1. To fix the space or spaces of; divide into spaces.
2. To set some distance apart.
3. Printing, Writing.
   1. to separate (words, letters, or lines) by spaces.
   2. To extend by inserting more space or spaces (usually fol. by out).

Adjective

1. Of, pertaining to, or concerned with outer space or deep space: a space mission.
2. Designed for or suitable to use in the exploration of outer space or deep space: space tools; specially packaged space food for astronauts.
3. Slang To stupefy or disorient from or as if from a drug. Often used with out: The antihistamine spaces me out so I can't think clearly.

Reciprocal System

1. One aspect of motion (the other is time).
2. Scalar space: Magnitude of the spatial aspect of motion.
3. Coordinate space: a reference system in which objects can be located in 3 dimensions.
4. Vectorial space: a reference system in which objects can be located and oriented in 3 dimensions.
5. Extension space: 3-dimensional coordinate reference system; the "space" of our normal experience.
6. Equivalent space: the spatial equivalent of a temporal motion.
7. Projective space: the "screen" on which a view of reality is projected.
8. Euclidean space: the same as Extension space.
9. Polar space: a rotational reference system in which objects can be located and oriented. A "vanishing point" perspective.

[MWells]

Fundamentally, "space" is a quality associated with a linear form of cognitive translation, when applied to interpreting the differentiated aspect of something. Consider an emergent framework for interpretation, where there is a developmental process underway. Very simply, the treatment of the various identifiable variables, in this developmental process, as being relatively independent, is this linear approach. This is a simple concept, but difficult to get accross because we tend to ignore the role of our own minds in interpreting what we identify as "space". For example, each of those examples is derived from a basic linear-cognitive process whose aim is to interpret things in a differentiated manner.

[bperet]

Found a couple more definitions for "space" when I was looking at String theory:

Topological Space
Math. A set with a collection of subsets or open sets satisfying the properties that the union of open sets is an open set, the intersection of two open sets is an open set, and the given set and the empty set are open sets.

Locally Euclidean Space
Math. A topological space in which each point has a neighborhood that is homeomorphic to an open set in a Euclidean space of specified dimension.

Manifold space (also Brane)

A topological space that is connected and locally Euclidean.

I think that brings us up to about 47 definitions for "space" so far.

[bperet]

MWells wrote:

Fundamentally, "space" is a quality associated with a linear form of cognitive translation, when applied to interpreting the differentiated aspect of something. Consider an emergent framework for interpretation, where there is a developmental process underway.

OK, now put that in terms Phil can understand!

[MWells]

Just as with the concept of the reciprocal relationship of physical space and time, there are basically two basic, reciprocal, mind-level concepts of differentiation and integration that we use to interpret what is observed at the physical level.

Differentiation is done linearly, that is as part of a logical (if-then, either-or, etc) process. From that differentiating cognitive process, we derive all the properties of what we refer to as "space" from the physical. Applying a Cartesian framework (interpreting things as independent, seperated elements) is an example of this differentiating mode of mind at work.

"Space", however you want to define it (by means of various geometries, dimensions, etc), is a framework of imposed seperation as derived from a differentiating application of mind.