The word 'nothing' has, say I, no "meaning", and even the notions behind its use are usually fuzzy. It always needs qualification. Consider the phrase, "There is nothing in the house."
In a message dated 8/17/12 2:38:36 PM, [email protected] writes: > William > > > And how is 'nothing' deployed? > > I was reading a scientific description of the atmosphere. I thought it > extended about 120 miles up and then ended. I was surprised to learn about > the > exosphere, the outermost layer of the atmosphere that extends from 690 Km > to > 10,000 Km above the Earth. Wow. The molecules of gases are so far apart > they > can travel 100 km before colliding with one another, and since they so > rarely > collide with each other, the atmosphere doesn't behave like a fluid. > > There is no 'nothing' out there or anywhere. We think of outer space as > (a) > above the atmosphere and (b) empty. But if you widen your field of > measurement > or study, then the empty space is full of objects. It seems > counterintuitive > to comprehend galaxies colliding and tearing each other apart, what with > all > that "empty" space between objects in it. But that's exactly what happens > at > the molecular and atomic level, where the size of the particles in atoms > is so > tiny compared to the space between particles in the same atom or molecule. > > > | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | > Michael Brady
