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RiseAgainst
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What real proof is there of the Big Bang? I have never heard anything that is convincing. And how do scientists determine the age of the universe, is it really calculated or is it just estimated?
RiseAgainst said:What real proof is there of the Big Bang? I have never heard anything that is convincing. And how do scientists determine the age of the universe, is it really calculated or is it just estimated?
Welcome to PF, RiseAgainst!RiseAgainst said:What real proof is there of the Big Bang? I have never heard anything that is convincing. And how do scientists determine the age of the universe, is it really calculated or is it just estimated?
Nereid said:First, in modern science, we don't talk about "real proof" - that's something only possible in mathematics - rather we use 'consistency'.
For example, we can say that all experiments conducted, and observations made, here on Earth, and in our solar system, are consistent with (Einstein's) General theory of Relativity (GR). We can also say that GR has no internal inconsistencies - its logic is sound and the mathematics it is built with well-established (and, in this case, proven).
Nereid said:It is very important to keep in mind that LCDM models say nothing whatsoever about the origin of the universe; in fact, their domains of applicability go only to when the universe was extremely hot and dense - as hot and dense as the collisions in the most energetic of particle physicists' colliders - and no further (though there are other cosmological models whose domains of applicability do go beyond this).
Good questions all, atty!atyy said:Is LCDM consistent with GR? If GR predicts a singularity, but LCDM is not applicable beyond a certain density, then isn't LCDM inconsistent with GR? Or does GR not predict a singularity, or does it predict that it becomes inconsistent when LCDM also becomes inapplicable?
This is a good essay on the subject:RiseAgainst said:What real proof is there of the Big Bang? I have never heard anything that is convincing. And how do scientists determine the age of the universe, is it really calculated or is it just estimated?
Nereid said:Welcome to PF, RiseAgainst!
I do not know how much formal training you have had, in science, nor to what level, so the following may be far to simplistic (please let me know if it is).
The Big Bang Theory is the leading scientific explanation for the origin of the universe. It states that the universe began as a singularity, an infinitely small and dense point, and has been expanding and cooling ever since. This theory provides evidence for the age of the universe through several key observations, such as the cosmic microwave background radiation and the abundance of light elements, which align with predictions made by the theory.
Scientists use a variety of methods to determine the age of the universe, including measuring the expansion rate of the universe, the cosmic microwave background radiation, the abundance of certain elements, and the distances to objects in the universe. These measurements are then used to calculate the age of the universe, which is currently estimated to be around 13.8 billion years old.
Cosmic inflation is a period of rapid expansion that is thought to have occurred in the very early universe, within the first fraction of a second after the Big Bang. This expansion is believed to have smoothed out irregularities and set the stage for the formation of galaxies and other structures in the universe. Evidence for cosmic inflation comes from observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation and the large-scale structure of the universe.
Yes, the Big Bang Theory is widely accepted by the scientific community as the best explanation for the origin and evolution of the universe. However, there are ongoing debates and research to better understand the details of the theory and explore alternative explanations.
Some key pieces of evidence that support the Big Bang Theory include the cosmic microwave background radiation, the abundance of light elements, the expansion of the universe, and the large-scale structure of the universe. These and other observations provide strong evidence for the Big Bang and its predictions, supporting the theory as the most accurate model for the origin of the universe.