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Not necessarily. I wouldn't say that gravity is matter. It's more of an energy. And regardless, basically you're saying there's no such thing as nothing, and thus you're arguing semantics. "It's not nothing because, on another dimensional plane, there's something there." Well then, that doesn't change any of what I said except that now "nothing" = "Something on another dimensional plane."

And I repeat again, why should there be something between the stars but not beyond them?

What I have basically gotten from your arguments is that you argue that nothingness does not exist. There is no where where there is nothing. That's fine. Now I want to know why it is that the spaces with the least amount of matter/energy is any different between the stars from those beyond the stars? If you are going to argue that "nothingness" isn't really "nothingness," because there has to be something there for spacetime to exist there, then that must mean there is also something beyond the stars in the exact same way, because otherwise there would be nowhere for the universe to expand to. "Potential for something" is ridiculous, because that would argue that the spacetime material just *poofs* into existence as soon as the universe stretches that far. And something cannot come from nothing, there is an eternal balance of energy/matter in the universe; It can't be destroyed, it can't be created, you can only convert from one to another.

Thus, if the universe is going to stretch there, there already has to be a spacetime material in existence there.

well, the universe has to be finite. nothingness is what is not taken up by existance- it is, really, infinite. it does exist in the fact that... well... not really. it's not really anything, nothingness is just the fact that being finite, the universe takes up a certain amount of space, measureable or otherwise. all that is in it exists. ... i don't know, it's too complicated to put into words... the reflexive property of congruence states that A=A. now, say that A=everything everything=everything, no more and no less. any other letter is nothing. A=/=x. A=/=B, A=/=C... nothing is the idea of the end of the universe, the idea that the universe is finite. i would say that nothing is everything that isn't in the universe, but nothingness isn't anything at all, it's just the end.

i never said they didn't. they do, because they are part of the universe, they can be altered, precieved, touched, and they exist. nothing is less, even, than the space. it is, really, the theory that the uiverse is finite. that it ends. and as such, there will be things that aren't... well, no there won't, simply for the fact that they aren't. it's more like... taking a census on everyone on earth. there will be one finite number. and though the number may increase over time, there is still a finite number. that means that there is an end to the number of people on earth. the end of the people would be the nothingness, the fact that there are no more after that. simply no more. not like, there's some sign that says "this is the last person" or "this is the end of the universe", but it's just the idea that, if the universe ends, then there is nothing past that end.

...But there has to be something beyond the stars, or there has to be a barrier of some sort, because otherwise it would be possible for a starship of some sort to travel out there, and for it to be able to travel out there, there must be spacetime material there! Not to mention that, given the universe is expanding, even the stars themselves keep pushing out! So, unless some sort of normal material is being drained out of our/other dimensions to create new spacetime every time the universe expands, there must already be spacetime material there!

Yes, but now I'm having a sugar hangover... gonk

Ha! This is why I don't trust the UN or their inspectors...

well, not neccesairly. though it is true, matter cannot be created or destroyed by normal means ( i believe that is, more or less, word for word what the theory of conservation of matter/energy), the force that created the universe is hardly "normal means". and there isn't a barrier- it could very well be the loop system that you talked about- you keep going, and eventually you end up where you started. but, like a racetrack, it can still be measured. and the fact that it can be measured means that there is an end, and with every end there must be nothing- it is what makes an end an end, otherwise it would simply be an interruption.