Infinitely Old Earth: Cambridge A Level Physics Student

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of time in relation to the universe's age, particularly in the context of the Big Bang theory and the relativity of time. Participants explore whether time had a beginning, if it could be infinitely old, and how these ideas relate to our understanding of time measurement.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that since time is relative, the beginning of time could be anywhere from zero to an extremely large number of years ago, questioning the notion of a definitive starting point.
  • Another participant raises a question about the relativity of time by asking how we can pinpoint events like Christmas to a specific time frame, implying that time measurement is subjective.
  • Some participants argue that the Big Bang theory does not necessarily state that time began at a specific moment, with one asserting that time isn't relative.
  • Another viewpoint posits that while the observable universe is about 13.7 billion years old, the universe itself may be infinitely ancient, suggesting a distinction between observable time and the concept of time itself.
  • A technical explanation is provided regarding how time is measured using atomic physics, indicating that time is defined through standard clocks and is not absolute across different observers.
  • One participant equates the concepts of infinitely big and infinitely old, suggesting a perspective that the universe has always existed in some form.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the nature of time and its relationship to the universe's age. There is no consensus on whether time had a beginning or if it can be considered infinitely old.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes various assumptions about the nature of time, the definitions of time units, and the implications of relativity, which remain unresolved among participants.

Super-No0b
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Hi guys! It's my first time posting here. I have great interests in physics and I am only a cambridge "A" level physics student (the physics here is really nonsense =.=) Ok I will start on my post. The big bang theory states that time 'began' 10-15 billion years ago. I am not sure how to put my thinking across to you guys, but I will try to explain how i think here... The possible beginning of time happened years ago. Since time is relative, am I safe to say it happened somewhere between zero to 100000000000000000000000000000000billion years ago? Or did time start infinitely long ago? Or time did not start (it didnt stop in the first place). Putting in layman's term, If a million years may seem short to the formation of a planet, is 1000000000000000000000000billion years nothing compared to the beginning of time? This is my first time telling anyone about this thought. Sorry if it seems noob =[

PS: I really suck at putting out my thought, and my understanding of relativity(I never learned that in school =[ ) but I hope u guys can understand my 'weird' thinking.
Thanks! :D
 
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Oh no... I wrote the title wrongly. It is supposed to be "Infinitely old universe". Sorry for the mistake! :D
 
How do we know that Christmas happened 8-1/2 months ago? Since time is relative, why din't we say it happened a billion years ago or five minutes ago?
 
Vanadium 50 said:
How do we know that Christmas happened 8-1/2 months ago? Since time is relative, why din't we say it happened a billion years ago or five minutes ago?

we had a calander last christmas. did we have one when time began
 
Super-No0b said:
we had a calander last christmas. did we have one when time began

ok I am trying to state the fact that the time difference between last christmas and now is relative but has an absolute ratio to the tick of the clock. The difference between the 'beginning' of time and now is relative.
 
What makes you think this is a "fact"?
 
If you look at the clock that was around from the big bang, it would show ~13.7 billion years.
 
The universe may well be infinitely ancient. The one we see [the observable universe] is not, by all current evidence [WMAP, redshift, etc.]. According to clocks on earth, this universe is about 13.7 billion years of age. If you looked through a gargantuan telescope at a clock in a distant galaxy, it would indicate the universe is younger than 13.7 billion years [a finite speed of light thing].
 
Super-No0b said:
The big bang theory states that time 'began' 10-15 billion years ago.

No it doesn't.

Since time is relative, am I safe to say it happened somewhere between zero to 100000000000000000000000000000000billion years ago?

1) Time isn't relative

2) You are safe to say that the big bang happened 243234234 zardaks, 677567 kabobs, or 34124981230481239034324 stylons, where zardaks, kabobs, and stylons are time units that you define.
 
  • #10
Well, you basically do it in two steps. First, you have to make a standard clock. Today our standard clock is a Cesium atom. Specifically, one second is:
the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium 133 atom.

Thus time, as we see it, is intimately connected to atomic physics. As long as atomic physics remains the same, the above clock will work. Once we define time in this manner, we can talk about the proper time of an observer that is stationary with respect to the CMB and not near any strong gravitational wells (e.g. black holes). That time is unambiguous at about 13.7 billion years. Other observers which move with respect to the CMB or exist in a strong gravitational potential well will see a smaller time.
 
  • #11
To me, infinitely big and infinitely old mean the same
thing...it has always been everywhere...it was not born
and will not die.
 

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