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General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: noden1 on 11/09/2003 23:50:02

Title: whats the meaning of life
Post by: noden1 on 11/09/2003 23:50:02
if our existence is a by product of the big bang why do we engage in the search for the meaning of life and gravitate towards the existence of a supreme being we may refer to as god.
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Ians Daddy on 12/09/2003 00:27:22
Agnostically: Because the grass is always greener on the other side.

Spiritually: Because that is our job that we were "wired" for...to get closer to God.

Just a thought.
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: chris on 12/09/2003 11:23:39
Because we have no idea what existed before the Big Bang. There must have been something, and the idea of the entire universe coming into existence from a single tiny point about 10 billion years ago is very difficult to cope with mentally !

Therefore we look for ways to explain our existence and understand the relationship between space and time in an attempt to predict what might have preceeded the big bang.

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Donnah on 13/09/2003 18:14:56
We search for meaning because as a species we are arrogant enough to believe that our existence is more meaningful (important) than other forms and are seeking to verify our opinion.
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Quantumcat on 23/09/2003 13:00:32
There may be nothing before the Big Bang - perhaps when Time started.

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!
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Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: chris on 23/09/2003 18:24:59
It's impossible that everything came from nothing. Something must have preceeded the big bang.

I don't know if other people get this, but trying to comprehend the incomprehensible - i.e. what existed before the universe began - makes me feel strange in a way I can't describe ! Am I alone or do others get this funny 'sensation' ?

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Donnah on 24/09/2003 00:36:27
Chris, it makes me feel strange too.  If I concentrate fully on something incomprehensible to me, I feel like the top of my head sort of opens up.  

Can you describe a little more what it feels like for you?[?]  What does everyone else experience, focusing on the incomprehensible?
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: cuso4 on 24/09/2003 08:58:59
quote:
Originally posted by Quantumcat

There may be nothing before the Big Bang - perhaps when Time started.

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!
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Hey Quantum, welcome back. How's France?

Angel (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsmilies.jeeptalk.org%2Fups%2Ficis%2Fices_angel_g.gif&hash=eb252a305c5a566cd34544de7a761914)
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Quantumcat on 24/09/2003 10:25:42
France is great!

And its possible there was nothing before the Big Bang if thats when time started lol

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!
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Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: chris on 24/09/2003 14:41:20
But energy can't come from nowhere so there must have been energy there initially that was then coverted into mass and light elements (hydrogen, helium and a few atoms of lithium) ?

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Quantumcat on 25/09/2003 09:09:25
the only thing we have experienced is linear time so of course thats the way we try to think about things, there may be something other than time but we cant know it therefore the question of what was before the big bang will go on until the human race disappears even though it makes No Sense to ask that question since there was no 'before' the big bang! =) we cant know how time came about to exist so i cant answer your question of where all the energy came from im sorry!

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!
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Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: chris on 26/09/2003 01:10:41
Well I'm very disappointed in you for not being able to predict what heralded the big bang. Shame on you !

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Quantumcat on 26/09/2003 06:59:13
Haha, shame on me.

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!
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Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Ians Daddy on 26/09/2003 07:23:57
Could one take the basic elements that started it all and run a controled experiment? Water, carbon, etc. Seal it off and see if something grows? That's after the big bang, but supposedly where it all sprouted from. Has this ever been done? Is it possible?
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Quantumcat on 26/09/2003 08:16:08
Do you mean like the pribiotic soup or whatever its called? I think someone did do that inthe early years of DNA history, but I forget when/who and I think they did get a few organic molecules forming, but cant remember. been too long.

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!
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Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: genegenie on 26/09/2003 11:09:32
Someone did some experiments that created amino acids and other organic molecules by passing a spark through water, methane, ammonia and hydrogen. I don't know much else about it, or if it really provided any answers.
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Ians Daddy on 26/09/2003 14:04:48
I believe it's called "Primordial Soup". I'd love to try / see that done.

Lisa Simpson lost a tooth and it fell into an old plate of food. It created an empire of micro-people who worshipped her. Gotta love the Simpsons.
Title: Re: whats the meaning of life
Post by: Quantumcat on 27/09/2003 08:56:53
lol I remember that episode.

Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!
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