Where Did the Original Matter Come From?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the origins of matter and the Big Bang theory, exploring questions about the initial state of matter and the implications of Newton's laws regarding matter's creation and destruction. Participants express varying opinions on the significance of cosmological research and the motivations behind human exploration.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the origins of matter, suggesting that the Big Bang theory does not adequately explain where the initial concentrated matter came from.
  • Another participant challenges the assertion that matter cannot be created or destroyed, stating that matter can be created and destroyed in particle colliders, while mass and energy cannot.
  • There is a debate over the intelligence of humans compared to dinosaurs, with one participant asserting that there is no evidence of intelligence in dinosaurs comparable to humans.
  • Some participants argue that the motivations for human exploration, such as going to the Moon, stem from curiosity and political pressure, while others question the value of such endeavors.
  • One participant emphasizes that understanding smaller, "less important" questions can lead to practical benefits in daily life, contrasting this with the pursuit of the ultimate origin of matter.
  • Several participants express uncertainty or confusion regarding the claims made about Newton's laws and their implications for the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the origins of matter or the significance of cosmological research. Multiple competing views remain regarding the value of exploring the universe versus focusing on more immediate, practical knowledge.

Contextual Notes

Some claims regarding Newton's laws and the nature of matter are challenged without resolution, highlighting a lack of clarity and agreement on these foundational concepts.

dehouston
Scientists spend millions of dollars and millions of hours trying to explain where matter comes from. The currently accepted theory is the "Big Bang" yet scientists don't bother to explain where that concentrated point of matter that exploded into what we see today came from. Newton's law states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed and scientists have stated they have confirmed that in the laboratory. So where did the original matter come from? Scientists don’t attempt to answer that because they can’t. What I can state is it did not come from some superior being, because if you subscribe to that belief then you have to answer, where did the superior being come from….and you are right back where you started.
Humans are the most intelligent species to live on this Earth, as far as we know; but that is our opinion and debatable since the Dinosaurs “ruled” the world far longer than we have. We are talking millions of years longer. They didn’t go to the moon, but why would they want to? Why did humans want to? We obviously have not felt the need to go back for over 40 years. I don’t expect humans ever will again.
Sure, we brought back moon rocks and we learned a lot about our universe and we left footprints on the moon, but we did not get any closer to learning how it all started. As far as I am concerned, if you can’t take it back to the very beginning, why try to find answers to questions less important?
 
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Well, that sure covered a lot of ground. :eek:

And in the end, I'm not sure whether you're for cosmological research or critical of it.
 
Newton's law states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed

Which law is that?:rolleyes:
 
Gosh...that sure was a big account to open.I like to learn about stuff. About where we came from. What's going on. How things work. Doing research solves this desire. You've got to do something good with your life here...we're here for only here for a brief period.
 
Wrong section.
 
dehouston said:
The currently accepted theory is the "Big Bang" yet scientists don't bother to explain where that concentrated point of matter that exploded into what we see today came from.

Because we don't know.

Newton's law states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed and scientists have stated they have confirmed that in the laboratory.

Incorrect. Matter can and is destroyed and created all the time here on Earth in particle colliders. Mass and energy cannot be created and destroyed, but matter can be,

Humans are the most intelligent species to live on this Earth, as far as we know; but that is our opinion and debatable since the Dinosaurs “ruled” the world far longer than we have. We are talking millions of years longer.

It is not debatable. There have never been any remains that show any sign of intelligence even close to ours.

They didn’t go to the moon, but why would they want to?

They weren't even able to comprehend what the Moon was. Just one of many reasons they did not go.

Why did humans want to?

A combination of curiosity and a lot of political pressure.
We obviously have not felt the need to go back for over 40 years. I don’t expect humans ever will again.

It's expensive and accomplishes very little other than to show that we can still do it. There is no doubt in my mind that we will one day return.

Sure, we brought back moon rocks and we learned a lot about our universe and we left footprints on the moon, but we did not get any closer to learning how it all started.

Nonsense. Learning more about the composition of the Moon helps us in our understanding of how the Moon was created. This is just one small part in the big chain.

As far as I am concerned, if you can’t take it back to the very beginning, why try to find answers to questions less important?

It is expected that finding the origin of everything is not going to happen any time soon. However without all the "little stuff" beforehand, we would never be able to understand the beginning. That and the fact that most people don't look at it so black and white. Just because we don't know what happened 13+ billion years ago doesn't mean that figuring out how Earth formed is meaningless.
 
dehouston said:
if you can’t take it back to the very beginning, why try to find answers to questions less important?
Because answers to those "less important" questions can give you all sorts of ideas to make your life more convenient and comfortable.

Would you honestly rather live the short, brutal, cave-man lifestyle constantly on the brink of starvation, or death by violence or trivial disease, but with knowledge of this most important of all questions? Or would you rather live with plenty of food, indoor plumbing, heating, and electricity and with lots of "less important" knowledge?
 
dehouston said:
Newton's law states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed
egads.

dehouston said:
and scientists have stated they have confirmed that in the laboratory.
egads.

Drakkith said:
Mass and energy cannot be created and destroyed, but matter can be
egads.
 
This doesn't meet the criteria for a post here.
 

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