Actual Infinity in Reality?

[Jehanne]

Steve,

If space is, as you claim, something that is finite, how is the Universe expanding?  If it is expanding, then how is its volume increasing?

It seems that the fabric of space is expanding--like a loaf of raisin bread being cooked. Raisins are the galaxies and the space between them expands while it is being baked. Raisins move in the dough even as the dough is expanding. Everything is getting further apart but not from a center. 

Expanding means the volume is increasing so I don't understand your last sentence.

Professional astronomers don't have a problem with space being an actual infinite:

The long explanation is below. However, if you just want a short answer, I'll say this: if the universe is infinitely big, then the answer is simply that it isn't expanding into anything; instead, what is happening is that every region of the universe, every distance between every pair of galaxies, is being "stretched", but the overall size of the universe was infinitely big to begin with and continues to remain infinitely big as time goes on, so the universe's size doesn't change, and therefore it doesn't expand into anything. If, on the other hand, the universe has a finite size, then it may be legitimate to claim that there is something "outside of the universe" that the universe is expanding into. However, because we are, by definition, stuck within the space that makes up our universe and have no way to observe anything outside of it, this ceases to be a question that can be answered scientifically. So the answer in that case is that we really don't know what, if anything, the universe is expanding into.

What is the universe expanding into? (Intermediate)

I just wanted your perspective on this question.