The Big Bang (Origins)

by George Jelliss , Crewe, Friday, April 23, 2010, 20:10 (5110 days ago) @ dhw

As I understand the term "big bang" it refers to the observational evidence that we can trace the evolution of spacetime back to a point of origin, or very close to such a point. This is what the evidence shows. By saying that "before" has no meaning in this context I was merely stating a tautology.-You can of course elaborate on the evidence by making all sorts of speculations, that time might have existed in some form before the instant of the big bang. In fact there are all sorts of theories of just such a nature. The question that I was asked is what do I "believe" is the case. My answer is that I base my belief on what seems to me to be the most probable solution given the available evidence.-Anything else is speculation or science fiction. Personally I find the idea that the universe of space-time came from nothing, quite philosophically and aesthetically and mathematically satisfying. The alternative view that time can be traced back infinitely is surely no longer tenable. Even theories that extend back beyond the big bang must surely at some point encounter the philosophical problem of an origin for time. So why not accept that the origin is indeed where it appears to be?

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GPJ