Is J Richard Gott's Self-Creating Universe Theory Still Relevant Today?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around J Richard Gott's self-creating universe theory and its relevance in contemporary cosmology. Participants explore the validity of Gott's ideas in light of recent scientific developments, particularly regarding the Big Bang theory and background radiation detection.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express skepticism about Gott's theories, labeling him as a "crank" and questioning the scientific rigor of his ideas.
  • Others defend Gott, arguing that his position as a professor at Princeton suggests credibility and that unconventional ideas do not inherently disqualify someone from being a serious scientist.
  • One participant finds the concept of a fractal universe appealing and seeks opinions and quotes for a presentation on Gott's theories.
  • Another participant describes Gott's theory involving quantum fluctuations leading to "baby universes" and the formation of closed timelike curves.
  • There is mention of self-creation being a common theme in cosmological theories, with some suggesting that the Big Bang could be part of a longer evolutionary process rather than a definitive beginning.
  • A participant references a thoughtful paper on "Self Creation Cosmology" that may provide additional insights into the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants exhibit a mix of skepticism and support for Gott's theories, with no consensus reached regarding their validity or relevance today. Multiple competing views remain, reflecting differing interpretations of Gott's work and its implications for cosmology.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note that the details of self-creation theories are complex and that the relationship between the Big Bang and self-creation is not straightforward. There are references to unresolved mathematical aspects and the need for further verification of Gott's closed timeline concepts.

stratovarius
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Hello, I'm new to this forum. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone is familiar with J Richard Gott's theories of a self-creating universe. Are his arguments still valid today, I was told that there have been recent breakthroughs in detecting background radiation which have conclusively proven that the big bang is THE way it all started, but I think that the self creating universe fits very well. I would love to hear your opinions. Thanks
 
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I don't think his ideas have ever been valid. He was a crank.

The self-creating universe in his own words:

"it would be like having one branch of a tree circle around and grow up to be the trunk. In that way, the universe could be its own mother."

He wasn't much interested in expanding on his ideas with anything like...you know...science.
 
Chimps said:
I don't think his ideas have ever been valid. He was a crank.

The self-creating universe in his own words:

"it would be like having one branch of a tree circle around and grow up to be the trunk. In that way, the universe could be its own mother."

He wasn't much interested in expanding on his ideas with anything like...you know...science.

If you are talking about this person http://www.princeton.edu/astro/people/faculty/jrg/ then he doesn't sound like a crank to me...

Garth
 
They are one and the same person, I read an interview referenced on the Princeton site and found the quote that Chimps disparaged.

But I agree with you Garth. He doesn't seem like a crank to me at all. They don't usually hire cranks as professors in Astrophysics at Princeton.

He might have some unusual ideas but that doesn't make him a crank.
 
Dr. Richard Gott with be a speaker at the INTERNATIONAL SHERWOOD FUSION THEORY CONFERENCE, APRIL 19-21, 2010, Seattle, Washington. :smile:

Made me think about:

"Every time you look up at the sky, every one of those points of light is a reminder that fusion power is extractable from hydrogen and other light elements, and it is an everyday reality throughout the Milky Way Galaxy."

--- Carl Sagan, Spitzer Lecture, October 1991

For centuries, the way in which the sun and stars produce their energy remained a mystery. During the Twentieth Century, scientists discovered that they produce their energy by the fusion process. Einstein's theory that mass can be converted into energy provided the basis for understanding fusion. This theory was further explored by other physicists who discovered two practical methods for achieving this conversion.
[Read on . . .]
http://www.pppl.gov/fusionenergy.cfm

Also, Dr. J. Richard Gott, III did write "A GOAL FOR THE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT PROGRAM."
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/368985main_GottSpaceflightGoal.pdf

Dr. J. Richard Gott, III is highly respected by the scientific community.
 
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I certainly hope he's not a crank, or my reading his books would seem like a waste of time. ;)

So does anyone have opinions on his theories, because I find the idea of a fractal universe very beautiful. I'm going to give a presentation on some of his theories in my speech class, so some quotes or opinions would be very appreciated. Thanks
 
Is this an ontological paradox? What is his theory exactly?
 
He wrote a paper in the 90s describing a universe in which quantum fluctuations can cause "baby universes" to branch off of the original one. One of the babies then curved back around to the original branch by traveling back through time to form a CTC (Closed Timelike Curve).

[PLAIN]http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/8202/selfcreation.jpg
 
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Hi Stratavarius

Some form of Self creation is at the heart of most cosmological theories - but the devil is in the details - Big Bang doesn't exclude self creation - it can be an event or era in an longer evolutionary process that begin earlier - perhaps in the infinite past- whether Gott's theories with closed timelines are realistic is yet to be verified - many cosmologists (Like Eddington) have expressed the view that they would be more comfortable with a less abrupt "Big Bang" The author of Post #3 above has published a very thoughtful paper entitled "Self Creation Cosmology" You might wish to read it in connection with your other material
 
  • #10
He published this paper:
http://arxiv.org/pdf/gr-qc/0405094v5"

I stumbled on his article in my research and I thought that it was quite good, the math is a little over my head, but the people in my class shouldn't notice my ignorance.:biggrin:
 
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