why do so many people think that scientist 'believe' the universe was created in the big bang?

Question

when it is a theory

You can't prove it.

Im am being flooded with ridiculous answers. I am not sure how to explain my reason for asking this
I mean the fact that there is red shift could mean that our local observable area came from the same place but without having seen the whole picture how can we know everything came from a quantum singularity?
look up the trend of enviromtalism in physics.

yeah sorry i should learn to tell the difference between a theory and a hypothesis this is the 2nd time I get it wrong on YA. sorry folks.

Answer 1

People believe what they are told, and what can be convincingly explained to them. That's also how a courtroom works. The big bang theory got a lot of publicity, and most of the religious counters to the theory didn't exactly get positive publicity. The right people who wrote the right text books caught wind of the theory and published it. There's nothing wrong with them doing so, all of science is based on theory, but the big bang is winning the popularity contest. Lots of other theories are out there, but the big bang has made the biggest bang in publicity.

Answer 2

Because the evidence does point that way:. ie; there have been observations and studies made of the movements of the stars and a hypothesis made.

In all likelihood, the theory will be adapted over the years. But it's also a theory that has been around for a couple of decades - ie, it's pretty resiliant.

As for you comment about believing a theory; well they believe in the Big Bang (Where there is some evidence) where as people believe in a god (Where there is no evidence and is based on books writen by grumpy old men way back in history).

Proof v. evidence; see above comment. Can't prove religion (Other than the fact that people are religious) either.

Answer 3

It's weird.

So, what's the difference between "Believe". "know", "understand", "accept", "trust" and other words that mean something akin to acknowledgment?

Most scientist accept the theory of the Big Bang. To the Christians though, "let there be light ... bang" is not what the Big bang is about. The Bible doesn't present the Big Bang. All the matter in the universe is just a bit more than light.

Anyway, many religious look at their "belief", and listen to preachers tell them that this is the same level of understanding that scientists have of theories. The real difference is that science requires evidence. Faith doesn't.

Answer 4

I'm continuously amazed at people's lack of knowledge and lack of differentiation of the words "theory" and "hypothesis".

"Theory"-A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.

"Hypothesis"-A tentative explanation for an observation, phenomenon, or scientific problem that can be tested by further investigation.
Something taken to be true for the purpose of argument or investigation; an assumption.

Therefore, giving an argument, like say, the big bang theory, the label of theory also gives it a certain level of validity. Theories have been tested and, so far, have yet to be proven wrong. Hypotheses are ideas, and have yet to be proven one way or the other, or have yet to go through rigorous tests to validate them as theories.

Saying it's an UN-proven idea is incorrect, as it is an idea that has yet to be reasonably DIS-proven. It has gone through the tests of many, many scientists. Who wouldn't want to prove this wrong? Lots of people are trying. He'd get his name in the paper, write a book about it, make loads of money... but it hasn't happened yet.

So when religous people say the big bang is "just a theory", what they're thinking is "it has not be proven" but what they're saying is "it has not been proven wrong". In fact, the physicists have yet to find a better answer and a more rock-solid conclusion to the start of everything.

As someone said on a previous discussion on this same topic:
"Matter comes from energy.
Energy can be neither created or destroyed, only transfered.
Since energy can not be created, there is no reason for a creator."
This is high school level physics, and the fact that energy cannot be created or destroyed cannot be disputed, thought my outcome of the statement obviously can (that there is no need for a creator).

Give me all the thumbs down you want, but if 3 people read this and get a better understanding, or if it solidifies their point of view, that's all I want, because posts like this that I have read did that for me.

Answer 5

Because as humans we find it hard to move on from accepted theory. We know a little bit and then think because the "clever People" have told us IT MUST BE TRUE. And then look down on others who don't agree because we think our selves in the A TEAM.

You only have to go to the large museums and then look at the self worship of science. Which in it's self can be a sort of faith. The only thing is where there are holes in the theory they try to prove and whitewash instead of accepting the floors and looking for another way. There are scientists and 'clever people' who do want truth though. It's the established perceived truth that is the barrier to finding out though.

Hmmmm I fancy soup now for some reason.

Answer 6

People think that because scientists do believe that the universe orginated in a quantum singularity. They believe it because it is the theory which best fits the available evidence.

The only viable alternative to the big bang theory was the steady state theory, and that fell by the wayside with the discovery of the microwave background radiation left behind by the big bang.

Answer 7

People believe this because they are lead to believe, by the media, that scientists are infallable. The reason that the big bang is pushed is because some people reason that if the big bang happened then the bible is wrong and God therefore doesn't exist.
The big bang is simply an un-proven theory like evolution....it is based on the extrapolation of existing facts, which as any good scientific mind would tell you, is a very risky business.

Answer 8

Ok, so if I'm correct - your point of contention is that these people think scientists have "beliefs" as opposed to theories.

I've always found that to be a weakness in the arguments of fundamentalists.
Because they have not learned to deduce logic, beliefs are equal to theories and even greater than facts.
It must be frustrating for them because their "beliefs" are all they have... if those beliefs were proven wrong (which happens sometimes) it shatters their whole foundation.

But if a scientist has a theory (or idea) that tests wrong... he or she simply moves on to the next with no associated guilt or denial. (Although it can hurt their funding or standing in the scientific community... which is a bit of an ego-shock too.)

Beliefs are like theories but with some extra emotional baggage.

Edit - if your question is one of scientific theory, perhaps this is the wrong category.

Answer 9

When I was in grade school, the fight was still on between Steady-Staters and Singularists. The steady-stater Fred Hoyle coined the term "big bang" as an insult and it backfired on him. But that wasn't the first nor last time he made a fool of himself as a physicist. He should have been a theologian instead, where your audience can't have a question period.

Jonathan, in science a theory is supported by facts. It's not a guess. Please get a dictionary.

Proof is for math. Evidence of the singularity can be seen in red shifts. I'm not doing your homework for you, though.

Answer 10

each thing that have a begin do have a end..
i find it very very hard to believe the universe always existed...

the theory of the big bang is kind of flawed i personally find..
that's simple the idea that their was 1 really HUGH ball of matter that exploded and not turned into a blackhole is ridiculous sinds they science prove anything bigger in mass 20x ow er sun will turn into a blackhole...

also know that ower universe is expending to bad i forgoten how much a day/km but i will try to find it