Spacetime & Quantum fields
To understand the relationships of relativity with quantum theory in a intuitive way
one could think of spacetime as a glassbeaker that contains a fluid of quantum fields.
The interaction between the container and the fluid would be analogue to how matter
and energy affects the curvature tensor in Einsteins field equations.
The dilaton could be a suitable background particle field in string theory for use
as building elements of the loop space mechanism when quantising spacetime curvature.
One can then imagine how this background of dilatons interact with other particles (fields).
As an amusing example the mechanism of inflation could be modelled as a particle
species that pulls on the dilatons and cause them to split up into new dilatons.
Each dilaton could be looked upon as a local observable of spacetime and thus the 'amount'
of spacetime would grow at an exponential rate.
The standard explanation of inflation follows a two step procedure, first the potential
function of a scalar field gives rise to a 'false vacuum' and then the equation of state
for this vacuum state when applied to general relativity gives a solution where
spacetime inflates (called de Sitter solution). One describes this situation as 'negative pressure'
or 'suction' but the fundamental basis of the phenomenon is not very evident.