Is the Big Bang Theory the end of time, not beginning?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of a recent experiment in quantum physics that suggests future events may influence the past, and how this relates to the Big Bang Theory and the concept of time. Participants explore the nature of time in relation to the Big Bang, questioning whether it signifies a beginning or an end.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant speculates that if future events can affect the past for atoms, it might imply that the timeline for atoms is reversed, with the Big Bang representing their "end of time."
  • Another participant challenges the claim about the experiment, stating that if such an effect were true, it would violate causality and create significant issues for scientific understanding.
  • A different viewpoint discusses the ambiguity of the term "Big Bang Theory," noting that the standard cosmic model, LambdaCDM, does not necessarily imply that time began with the expansion of the universe. Some models suggest time may extend back before the expansion started.
  • Concerns are raised about the lack of proper citation for the referenced experiment, emphasizing the importance of accurate interpretation and understanding of scientific claims.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the implications of the quantum experiment and the interpretation of the Big Bang Theory. There is no consensus on whether the Big Bang signifies a beginning or an end of time, and the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the importance of proper citation and understanding of scientific concepts, indicating that some claims may be based on misinterpretations or lack of clarity regarding the experiment discussed.

Comfort_Cube
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
I am by no means familiar with anything in quantum physics, so bear with me. This recent experiment that proved that future events can affect the past for an atom got me thinking, does that mean that, the timeline of atoms is the opposite of ours, and that the end of time for them is what we consider the Big Bang Theory? Also, I'm sure I misunderstood parts of the article I read about the experiment, so, can you clarify what exactly was done?

Edit: I'm sorry. I didn't cite a source. Here's the article:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/physical-sciences/time-travel-and-single-atom
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Comfort_Cube said:
This recent experiment that proved that future events can affect the past for an atom got me thinking,

I am not aware of any experiment that did that. In fact if it did it would cause a big problem for science since it would violate causality.

You are likely referring to theories along the following lines:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transactional_interpretation

The backward in time waves do not cause any problems because they are basically undetectable - at least no one has figured out how to detect them. And it has no impact on the Big Bang.

Thanks
Bill
 
It's difficult if not impossible to know what people mean by "Big Bang Theory".
the standard cosmic model used in research is called LambdaCDM. It does not necessarily require time to begin at the start of expansion. there are versions where time extends back before start of expansion and they can fit the data as well as versions that break down at the start and don't extend back further.

For an example, google "LambdaCDM bounce" and check out the article on arXiv.org by Cai and Wilson-Ewing.

Sometimes I think when people say "Big Bang" they mean the start of expansion. This shouldn't be equated with "the beginning of time" because so far we have no scientific evidence that there was a beginning of time or that it coincided with the start of expansion in the standard cosmic model.
 
Comfort_Cube said:
I am by no means familiar with anything in quantum physics, so bear with me. This recent experiment that proved that future events can affect the past for an atom got me thinking, does that mean that, the timeline of atoms is the opposite of ours, and that the end of time for them is what we consider the Big Bang Theory? Also, I'm sure I misunderstood parts of the article I read about the experiment, so, can you clarify what exactly was done?

What "recent experiment"?

This forum requires that you make a habit of making proper citation of your sources. So please do that. Otherwise, we have no idea if you are reading things correctly, making the right interpretation, or just didn't understand what you encountered.

Secondly, you might want to read the PF rules once again, especially on speculative post.

Zz.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 28 ·
Replies
28
Views
6K
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
3K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
5K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
3K
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
4K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
4K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K