Isn't "the annihilation of space" what Shevek, the anarchist theoretical physicist says to a Terran diplomat in "The Disposessed" when she asks him what he does

Isn't "the annihilation of space" what Shevek, the anarchist theoretical physicist says to a Terran diplomat in "The Disposessed" when she asks him what he does? Or am I misremembering. His work leads not to an FTL drive (in most of her books) but to the ansible (instant (literally) messaging). Just wondering...