Was there a beginning?

Discussion in 'Alternative Theories' started by quantum_wave, May 14, 2022.

  1. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    Contemplating the universe is an interesting pass time and so I thought I would start this tread to discuss various views of the nature of the universe.

    Was there a beginning? How did it start? Or has it always existed?
    Will it ever end?
    Is it finite or infinite?
    How did life begin?

    Responses can address those questions of pose new questions for discussion.

    My view, the universe has always existed, there was no beginning, and it is infinite and eternal. Any objections?
     
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  3. Motor Daddy Valued Senior Member

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    I define the "universe" as an object, like a ball, or a galaxy, or a solar system, or a planet. They are all objects.

    So did a ball, or a solar system, or a galaxy, or a universe have a beginning, as an object. Yes, just like a human has a beginning and an end, all objects have a beginning and an end.

    All objects reside in space, which had no beginning and will have no end, because space is simply 3 dimensional distance. Space is inevitable, there is no alternative to infinite space.
    Space never began and space will never end. Objects reside in space. They have motion in space.

    My theory on how the universe started as an object is that it came from the core of a greater object. It is a component of that greater object that orbits the core of that object, along with other universes that orbit that object's core.

    So a universe is a component of a multiverse. A galaxy is a component of a universe. A solar system is a component of a galaxy. A planet is a component of a solar system. And I am a component of a planet. My heart is a component of me. Cells are a component of a heart. Atoms are a component of a cell. a nucleus is a component of an atom. Protons are a component of a nucleus, and on and on and on... Turtles all the way, up and down...

    Space is infinite, there is no alternative.
     
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  5. sculptor Valued Senior Member

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    No.
     
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  7. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    Yes.

    Before you can discuss the question, yo need to define "universe", "beginning", "end", etc.
     
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  8. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    Universe: Infinite space and everything in it

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    .
    Beginning and end: for example, you start a book at the beginning, and if you read it all, you reach the end.
     
  9. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    The problem I forsee is that somebody is likely to suggest thet the universe needs a creator. My w=question would be, is the creator part of the universe? If it is, did it have a beginning and/or an end? And if it is not part of the universe, is there anything else that is not part of the universe?
    What if I only want to read one chapter?
     
  10. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    What if I only want to read one chapter?[/QUOTE]
    You are not suggesting the universe needs a creator, are you? If someone does suggest that then they are leaving the realm of science, and no one has suggested that to me in all the time I've been here at Sciforums.
     
  11. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    If you include infinite in your definition then its kind of pointless to ask if it's infinite, no?
     
  12. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    You should be aware that your questions are outside the realm of science.

    Questions like 'was there a beginning' are not things science addresses. Thats philosophy.
     
  13. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    If it is a matter of communication and getting a point across, sometimes redundancy is effective.
     
  14. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    No. That's not redundancy, that's circular logic.


    A: "Is the universe infinite?"
    B: "Depends on how do you define 'universe'."
    A: "Infinite space."
    B: "Then yes."
     
  15. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    True, but science starts with unanswered questions, and often such questions spark debate that leads to discovery and learning that advances known science.
     
  16. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    True. But what it does not do is start with unanswerable questions.
    Science is about evidence.
     
  17. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    Point taken, but the thread is in the Fringe sub-forum where alternative topics and discussions are commonly posted.
     
  18. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    But based on observations of effects

    Currently scientists cannot quite reach (observe) what MIGHT be a beginning

    And only speculate about a ending

    Regarding beginning, scientists have seen neurones pop into existence very briefly

    Something about "space being under tension". THAT would indicate a something from nothing situation and would indicate the Universe did create itself from nothing

    For me religion went down the wrong path giving a possible scientific proscess how something can be produced from nothing with claims of
    • god always existed
    • god created the Universe
    Couldn't bloody wait until science matured a little

    Coffee and cheese and pickle roll time

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  19. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Right. And, as such, a "creator" will be one possible explanation.
     
  20. nebel

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    since we have heard talk of more than one "universe", your definition of that object is to broad. there was uncreated energy before this, our universe. To call the whole chabang, the eternal cosmos is a misnomer. The concept of an un-understandable
    pre Big Bang entity is valid though. imho.
     
  21. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    How do you know that life began? Maybe it has always been around. Is your life finite or infinite?

    What is the meaning of life? Is there meaning? Does your life have meaning?

    What is "meaning"? Who or what gives meaning to meaning?
     
  22. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    I'm trying to block that ploy right from the beginning.
     
  23. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    Apparently, yes. It's known as the Big Bang.
    With a gigantic explosion of space.
    You're asking about our universe, right? It is about 13.8 billions years old, so no, it hasn't always existed.
    Depends what you mean by "end". If our interpretation of the data is correct, it looks like we're heading for an eventual "heat death" in the very long term. The universe will end with a whimper rather than a bang.
    Infinite, if the data says what we think it says.
    Nobody knows, exactly. Probably it began on Earth due to abiotic chemical processes forming complex-enough arrangements which gained the capacity to reproduce themselves etc. This is an active area of research.
    No, but I have a question: why is this your view? What informs your view on this? Or is this just your guess?

    You can hold whatever view you like, of course, but science tries to inform itself by making observations, doing experiments, etc.
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2022

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