What Came Before the Big Bang?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around theories and ideas regarding the state of the universe before the Big Bang, exploring concepts of cosmology, the nature of singularities, and the implications of current scientific understanding. Participants express curiosity about the origins of the universe and the validity of various theories, including those that may not have empirical support.

Discussion Character

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

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the notion of the Big Bang as an infinitely dense point, suggesting that this is a misrepresentation of the theory.
  • There are theories about conditions before the Big Bang, but they are not part of the Big Bang theory and lack empirical evidence.
  • One participant expresses a desire for clarification on the most popular theories regarding the early universe, emphasizing a preference for scientific explanations over theological ones.
  • Some participants mention the concept of chaotic inflation and cyclic cosmology as potential models for understanding pre-Big Bang conditions.
  • Concerns are raised about the untestability of theories prior to the epoch of recombination, with some arguing that this limits their scientific validity.
  • There is a discussion about the empirical evidence supporting Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the role of satellite missions in studying the cosmic microwave background (CMB), with differing views on the significance of this data.
  • One participant argues that while direct observation of events prior to recombination is challenging, the imprints on the CMB provide indirect evidence of earlier physical processes.
  • Another participant emphasizes the distinction between proving and corroborating scientific theories, suggesting that the inability to directly observe certain phenomena does not invalidate scientific inquiry.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the nature of the Big Bang and the validity of pre-Big Bang theories. There is no consensus on the interpretations of evidence related to the early universe, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of current scientific understanding.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that many theories about the early universe are untestable and that the understanding of conditions prior to recombination is limited. The discussion highlights the challenges of empirical validation in cosmology.

  • #31
Chronos said:
Is life after death the same as life before birth?
Heh. No. There's actual evidence of life before birth.:D
 
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  • #32
The indisputable evidence is that nothing is ever gained or lost, the sum remains the same.

I don't know of any theories which postulate that anything is created from nothing, except quantum foam, for which I believe it assumes that anything created must be consumed at some other point or "borrowed". So yes life before death should equal life after death.
 
  • #33
jerromyjon said:
The indisputable evidence is that nothing is ever gained or lost, the sum remains the same.

Tell that to the CMB...
 
  • #35
Primordial black holes form from overdensities just like galaxies, and so should appear as hot spots in the CMB.
 
  • #36
jerromyjon said:
The indisputable evidence is that nothing is ever gained or lost, the sum remains the same.
You should learn some basic cosmology before making such a statement. As drakkith pointed out, the CMB is one example of something for which this is in fact demonstrably NOT true.
 
  • #37
I'm obviously lacking in my understanding of temperature here, I'm going to do some more research and see if I can figure out what I'm missing...
 
  • #38
jerromyjon said:
I'm obviously lacking in my understanding of temperature here, I'm going to do some more research and see if I can figure out what I'm missing...

Well, one thing that you may not be aware of is that on cosmological scales, there is no such thing as conservation of energy.
 
  • #39
Closed pending moderation.
 

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