I am curious - do you think matter has always been there, or that it has an origin? As I understand it, the Big Bang theory only addresses the origins of our current universe, and only deals with rearranging matter, not the beginnings of matter.
Please don't tell me about how God created matter.
2007-11-30 03:18:33 · 21 answers · asked by slinkywizzard 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
ooz - I want to know what you think, not what you think thermodynamics implies.
Aviator - So we got the matter from a different universe; doesn't that bring us back to the same question?
2007-11-30 03:28:55 · update #1
Again to give you the same answer--what is the difference between believing matter was always there or God was always there. Actually, to have God create matter creates another level of complexity. By Occams razor, matter alone would be the simpler of the two hypothesis.
2007-11-30 03:22:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
It seems likely that it was always here in some form or another, either as matter or energy.
The quantum mechanical concept of zero-point energy seems to indicate that even in seemingly empty space there is at least a small amount of energy. So, it seems there must have always been at least some around.
Personally, I don't find the Big Bang theory very believable. I am more inclined to think that cosmic microwave background radiation and the seeming expansion of the universe will eventually be found to have other explanations. I think it is much more likely that there has always been energy and matter around and that it was probably never actually all compressed down into a dimensionless point.
I think it is pretty likely that there may be a limit to how much matter and energy can be concentrated in a region and that the entire universe being compressed down to almost nothingness is impossible.
2007-11-30 11:28:36 · answer #2 · answered by Azure Z 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is a pretty hard question to answer. Right now, I have not really looked into it much, since science is still in the preliminary stage of investigating the subject. But the one idea that seems interesting (might not be the best) is that there are an infinite number of alternate universes, and that when one collapses, it shifts all the matter over to a new universe, and all that matter appears as a single point. Then the Big Bang starts.
2007-11-30 11:26:08 · answer #3 · answered by Take it from Toby 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're talking pre-big bang? Not the conversion of energy to matter that happened "shortly" after it? Right?
Assuming I understood, I can only guess at the answer, since singularities are near impossible to comprehend. I'd say the energy was always there, in potentia, it really had no meaning before there was space for it to exist. So you could say that the energy came into being at the start.
Like I really know... just guessing at it :)
2007-11-30 11:33:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know the answer. And frankly, "the how" doesn't interest me. I'm not a scientist.
The answer to this question, does not change my life for the better or worst. Pondering on this will only waste the precious time I have, that I could be using to do something of more value.
I am sure someday that our scientists or future generations of scientists will have established a logical and reasonable hypothesis to this question, if they haven't already.
Try the science section, maybe this has already been answered.
2007-11-30 11:28:27 · answer #5 · answered by Sapere Aude 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
We don't know yet. String theory looks promising, as does a somewhat fringe-theory called E8 ToE (Theory of Everything). String theory will literally involve creating new forms of math to figure out (kind of like Newton having to invent Calculus to figure out gravitational effects), whereas E8 ToE makes predictions that the Large Hadron Collider will be able to test.
You'll note a lot of future tense in what I just said -- in short, we don't know yet.
Get a degree in advanced math or particle physics or cosmology, and come along for the ride, or, like the rest of us not so inclined, you'll just have to wait.
2007-11-30 11:29:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Theres a really interesting show on the history channel about how the universe began before the big bang. I can't remember what it's called but if you scan the yahoo tv guide I'm sure you will find an upcoming airing.
2007-11-30 11:22:23 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I think that matter exist as a result of the bigbang and the events that peclude it are not of a realivent nature as they do not help to further understanding of our universe as it exists at present, therefore until we can formulate a good model of the the present universe such question are purely philisophical in nature.
2007-11-30 12:00:55 · answer #8 · answered by mtheoryrules 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I would have to guess it was always there. We may find out as our technology gets better.
The History Channel show is called The Universe.
2007-11-30 11:34:19 · answer #9 · answered by Verbal Ninja 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Energy is matter is energy. It might have always been there. Something happened, I don't know what. I'm not sure if we'll ever be able to find out. But I'm sure it was a natural phenomenon. Maybe we'll learn more with the new supercollider.
2007-11-30 11:22:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋