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Lightermahn
Can we be sure about there was nothing before big bang?
Can we be sure about there was nothing before big bang?
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In summary, there are many theories about what existed before the Big Bang, but we cannot be sure about any of them. Some suggest a period of inflation, while others propose a contracting pre-bounce phase similar to our expanding universe. One article by Yi-fu Cai and Edward Wilson-Ewing explores the idea of a LambdaCDM bounce scenario and suggests ways to test these theories. However, it is difficult to determine what, if anything, existed before the Big Bang. Some philosophers argue that something cannot come from nothing and that something has always existed. Ultimately, the universe seems to defy logic at times and the question of what preceded the Big Bang remains a mystery.
- #2
PeterDonis
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The Big Bang is not an "initial singularity", though pop science presentations often misleadingly imply that it is. The Big Bang is the hot, dense state that the Universe was in at the earliest times we have reliable knowledge of. There was certainly something before that; our current best theory is that it was a period of inflation.
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AgentSmith
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We cannot. Wish there were more questions about cosmology and cosmonogy that easy to answer.Lightermahn said:
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marcus
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Lightermahn said:
Certainly we cannot be sure there was not : ^)
If you are really interested, I'd suggest you have a look at the December 2014 article by Yi-fu Cai and Edward Wilson-Ewing called "LambdaCDM Bounce Scenario"
they are very interested in ways that pre-bounce hypotheses can be TESTED by checking against observational data. that is really challenging.
they make the straightforward assumption that the contracting pre-bounce phase was like our expanding universe (the LambdaCDM model that everybody uses) same physics, same type of geometry and material. that is at least a simple place to start.
To get the article (which has a mix of technical parts with less technical introduction and conclusions) you just need to google
"LambdaCDM bounce" and get the "arXiv.org" free online PDF version.
there is a lot of current pre-"big bang" research available, but I would recommend this because comparatively straight forward.
I'll get the URL for you, although googling the title is also very quick.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1412.2914
or
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1412.2914.pdf
See what you can get our of pages 12 and 13, the conclusion at the end which are entirely in words, no equations.
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Chronos
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What would precede nothing?
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AgentSmith
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Chronos said:
How could we know? I happen to think , Like Thales and some other ancient Greek philosophers, that something cannot come from nothing, and something cannot turn into nothing. This is tantamount to saying something has always existed. How can no-thing exist? These are my opinions. But that is logic, which the universe seems to violate every so often just to mess with our minds.
FAQ: Can we be sure about there was nothing before big bang?
1. What is the Big Bang theory and how does it relate to the beginning of the universe?
The Big Bang theory is a scientific explanation for the origin of the universe. It proposes that the universe began as a singularity, a point of infinite density and temperature, and expanded and cooled over billions of years to form the universe we know today.
2. Can we be sure that there was nothing before the Big Bang?
Currently, there is no way to definitively prove or disprove what may have existed before the Big Bang. The laws of physics as we know them break down at the singularity, so it is impossible to make any concrete statements about what may have existed before the universe began.
3. What evidence supports the Big Bang theory?
There are several lines of evidence that support the Big Bang theory. One is the observation of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is thought to be leftover energy from the Big Bang. Additionally, the abundance of light elements in the universe is consistent with predictions made by the Big Bang theory.
4. Is the Big Bang the only theory for the beginning of the universe?
No, there are alternative theories such as the Steady State theory and the Oscillating Universe theory. However, the Big Bang theory is currently the most widely accepted and supported by scientific evidence.
5. Can we ever know for certain what caused the Big Bang?
It is currently impossible to know for certain what caused the Big Bang. As mentioned before, the laws of physics break down at the singularity, making it difficult to make any definitive statements about the cause of the universe's beginning. However, scientists continue to study and explore the origins of the universe in hopes of gaining a better understanding of this phenomenon.