Could the universe (or multiverse) be eternal?

Question

I'm currently involved in an online argument (www dot youtube dot com/watch?v=lA0bKRKQZtk )

I think that it is reasonable to think that the universe (or multiverse) could be eternal.

My online opponent thinks that the time of the universe is finite because of the big bang and that it is irrational to propose an eternal one.


Am I possibly right? or am I totally wrong? What do contemporary cosmologists think?

Answer 1

Isn't the Big Bang just a theory? How could one determine either way when they use a theory, which has not (can not?) be proven to back up a new theory?

Let's assume that the Big Bang was an actual event in the history of the Universe. Does that mean that there was nothing BEFORE the Bang? How is that possible. The matter and energy involved in the Bang had to come from somewhere. Which makes me look at it this way - the Universe/Multiverse has different stages and eventually will take on different forms, some of which are completely alien to our definition of "Universe". So possibly the current structure of our Universe is not eternal, but I do believe the matter in it is.

Answer 2

It is *not* reasonable to assume that our universe is eternal -- there is considerable good evidence that it began in the Big Bang some 14 billion years ago. Nothing that has a beginning can be "eternal."

The "multiverse" is an interesting concept from string theory, but there is little or no evidence yet of its actual existence. You can certainly have ideas about its existence and its properties, but since there is no evidence available to prove those ideas right or wrong, they're just thoughts -- nothing more. So you can't say it's reasonable to assume that the multiverse is eternal, either -- with the evidence and knowledge we currently have, it's not reasonable to assume *anything* about the multiverse.

Sorry, you can't back up your position on this one.

Oh, and "smellyfoot" -- "just a theory?" Gravity is "just a theory." A theory is a scientific hypothesis for which considerable evidence has been found to support it's accuracy. In the nearly 100 years since the theory of the Big Bang has been put forth, there have been literally hundreds of thousands of observations, experiments, and collections of data concerning it: every single one shows our concept of the Big Bang to be real and accurate, NONE show any evidence that the Big Bang did not happen. In science, with so much confirming evidence and no evidence against, such a theory is accepted as fact -- and the Big Bang is accepted as fact.

Answer 3

Interesting Question. I believe in mutiple expansions and retractions of the universe or multiple big bangs or multiverse if you will......because when we say big bang, we might ask what really banged or what really inflated or what really expanded that lead to the space time continuum that we call reality. There could be other space time continuums and other realities too. The same thing goes in theological reasoning too that if we say "god created the universe", then the obvious question might be how did god come into exsistence. If the answer for that is god exsisted forever, why not apply the samething to universe and say universe exsisted forever but went through different cycles of expansions and retractions.
Even with multiple expansion and retractions or "big bangs again and again" if you will, the basic question still lingers....where did the original matter come from. When we talk about multiple expansions and retractions, that means we are talking about new universe(with new space & time) starting again and again. So the only thing we can do is to speculate what could be there before but its hard even to take a guess because the reality we are in(or think we are in) is the result of new expansion(or big bang or creation or whatever we can call).

The basic question, (i think) boils down to the question on energy. Whether its scientific or religious, we are talking about energy. I think energy is required for the things that we see around to come into exsistence. Energy is necessary to sustain the universe too. But, It is proved from laws of themodynamics that "ENERGY CAN NEITHER BE CREATED NOR DESTROYED" but can be transfered to different states. So we are basically talking about properties of energy which puzzle us to this day.
Philosophically we might further this question by saying, if energy can neither be created nor destroyed, why is this law the way it is. What causes this law to uphold itself. This is how the reasoning and questions goes on and on. There is always something to be discovered/known which we don't have a clue of. Accepting a theory on infinity and theory on eternal might be beyound our comprehension but that doesnt mean its not possible. We have to have an open mind to question, reason, and come up with intelligent theories to describe the universe and never stop questioning.

Without curiosity and questioning, life on earth will come to stall.
So coming up with different questions and answers will lead us to greater goal.

Answer 4

i dont think that universe can be eternal. according to me (as i think)
every thing is made up of some sort of energy. similarly universe or multiverse what it may be is made up of energies which can depreciate as all we use it and may be evolved as another sort of energy which may not be useful to us or something not felt to present dimensions. a dimensional transit is not possible to us since our scientific experiments didnt prove that.( and also dimensional transit is possible when we travel beyond the velocity of light which is an impossible thing). so there will be a day where the total cosmological energy will go off and definitely our universe will become a larger black hole or white dwarf.
thats why universe is not eternal and subjected to change.(be clear with the point not completely death)

Answer 5

While I am not "up," as they say, on the math, you might have a read of Stephen Hawking's work on "imaginary time." The idea is somewhat analogous to the introduction of "i" to the reals (R). Here is a lecture the Hawking delivered that speaks to the issue. In essence the Big Bang is a product of our perspective in real time and space, but in imaginary time the singularity "goes away." Anyway, give it a read and see what you think.

http://www.hawking.org.uk/lectures/bot.html

HTH

Charles

Answer 6

I think the universe did not exist at one time and will cease to exist sometime in the future.
Definitely finite!

Answer 7

There is no scientific law that says it must end.