How did the universe begin out of nothing?

I've heard about the Big Bang theory, and I haven't read up much on this, but does anyone have any interesting answers to this question? Answers are most obliged. I will also probably think about it the whole day.

Note by Robert Fritz
7 years, 3 months ago

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Comments

The big bang is said to have started from a singularity which is an infinitely dense point with zero volume. What happened after that singularity is noted in the Big Bang Theory which is the model of how the universe formed. The model is widely accepted in the scientific community but it does leave the question of how the singularity came from nothing and there isn't a widely accepted theory for explaining this, but there definitely are theories. Most of the theories are dependent on your concept of time and whether you think that the past is equally existent as the future. The typical theory of time is the A-theory of time and there are two branches of this theory. One is the growing block universe which states that the present and the past exist but the future does not exist yet. The other branch of the A-Theory of time is presentism which states that only the present exists which most people accept without questioning. On the other hand there is the B-Theory of time which is typically based on varieties of the fourth dimension. One form is called eternalism and it states that the present, the future and the past all exist. One theory based on the A-Theory of time is that the singularity formed from a previous universe which underwent a 'Big Crunch' where the universe collapsed on itself. There was one other theory by Stephen Hawking I am forgetting now that I read in 'The Brief History of Time' which I think is also based on the A-Theory of time. The B-Theory of time is a lot more open ended with respect to making a theory on how the singularity formed as all time is equally existent. I suggest checking out the link below.

A-theory and B-Theory

Cole Coupland - 7 years, 3 months ago

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I don't really know a lot about this (though I'd like to), but I have a theory that I came up with myself.

Time is like an infinitely long ruler. Each tick on the ruler is a standstill image of everything, everywhere. As existence goes down the ruler, the images compile like frames of a TV show to form what people conceptualize as time. Me typing this text is earlier in the timeline than you reading it. So the only thing that exists currently\textit{currently} is the present. However, the past existed some time ago, and the future is yet to exist. Basically, I think that the past becomes farther behind us as time goes on and the future doesn't exist yet.

Can you tell me if that fits into the B-Theory?

Trevor B. - 7 years, 3 months ago

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That is presentism which is a branch of the A-Theory of time. It states exactly what you said, that the future doesn't exist, the present exists and that the past existed, but no longer exists. The B-Theory of time states that all three exist simultaneously but we only see an infinitesimally small sliver, what is known as the present, at one time. There is still a chronological order to time though. For example, using the B-Theory, you could say that I was born after the universe formed. If you were seeing a 'frame' which happened to be on the day of your birth though you could not say that you were born * today *. This is because using this theory, today is equally existent as the day before that, and the day after that.

Cole Coupland - 7 years, 3 months ago

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@Cole Coupland Thanks for the explanation! I'll have to take a look at "A Brief History of Time."

Trevor B. - 7 years, 3 months ago

Thanks for responding, and so clearly to! I'm also reading that book. (A Brief History of Time)

Robert Fritz - 7 years, 3 months ago

I prefer A-Theory as t seems more reasonable. For all we know, this universe is inside a black hole of a larger universe, in which case we would live in a multiverse. even if a singularity blew up we would still be stuck inside.

Sharky Kesa - 7 years, 3 months ago

That was a really nice explanation. Even I was eager to know. Thanks

Smriti Prakash - 7 years, 3 months ago

A good read would be the The Universe from Nothing by Professor Lawrence Kraus

raj sukhdeo - 7 years, 3 months ago

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Thank you, I'll check it out

Robert Fritz - 7 years, 3 months ago
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