Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Aaron on 31/10/2008 23:06:42

Title: What happened before the Big Bang?
Post by: Aaron on 31/10/2008 23:06:42

Aaron asked the Naked Scientists:

I was listening to one of the shows while at work and I heard a caller ask a question, "What was happening before the big bang?" I unfortunately missed the answer part and that has been a question I've been pondering over for a long time.  

What do you think?

Title: What happened before the Big Bang?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 01/11/2008 04:04:22

The simple answer is that we do not know. All we can do is conjecture. Conditions just after the Big Bang were so extreme that we cannot test theories that purport to describe the first 10^-43 seconds of the universe's existence. It follows, therefore, that we cannot even be sure about the Big Bang itself.

If anything did exist, or "was going on", prior to the Big Bang, we can never know for certain. There are various theories - the universe expanding from a quantum fluctuation, and a cyclic expansion and contraction to a Big Crunch to name but 2. No information from before the Big Bang (if there was any information then, or even if there was a "then") can ever reach us so it will forever remain in the realms of theory and supposition.

Title: What happened before the Big Bang?
Post by: neilep on 01/11/2008 11:04:44

I finally figured it out !


This is what happened just before the big bang !




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 [;D]

Title: What happened before the Big Bang?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 01/11/2008 15:05:03

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fyawning%2F2.gif&hash=4e51fe7758aadec1557c23d293d9816f)