What Was There, Before The Universe Began?

[Olex]

Btw, Big Bang theory has number of problems and number of variations with some really crazy and funky approaches, which try to stretch it to match the state of affairs in reality.

After all, Big Bang was not invented by a scientist per se, but by a Catholic monk, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Lemaître

edit: spell check

Edited August 18, 2006 by Olex

[Dismuke]

I dont understand how the universe could have always existed. I'm not saying the theory is wrong, but can someone explain to me how its possible?

What makes it easier for me to understand is to recognize that the question in the title of the thread basically amounts to asking: "What existed before anything existed?" Clearly such a question is contradictory.

There are a great many facts about the nature and history of the universe that are simply beyond the range of current knowledge. But whatever those facts may be and no matter how they might upend current theories and conventional wisdom on the subject, those currently unknown facts are not going to contradict the facts that we already do know. And the means of knowledge that will be required in order to someday discover and grasp those facts is not going to be somehow different than the means of knowledge that we use in order to discover and grasp currently known facts. In a great many fields, at some point after one has asked enough questions, it is not at all uncommon for the answer to become: nobody knows.

Unfortunately, a lot of people have a very difficult time dealing with "nobody knows" and take it as license to invent an explanation just so everything will "make sense." For example, a natural disaster comes along and impacts a tribe of savages. The nature and cause of that natural phenomenon is way beyond the range of knowledge of the savages. But rather than simply taking the viewpoint of "we don't currently understand what causes floods/tornadoes/lightning strikes/earthquakes/volcanic eruptions, etc., they just happen" privative peoples will come up with some "explanation" such as the tree gods being offended so that the phenomena will "make sense." Sadly, I suspect a great many people, including some scientists, are little better than those savages when it comes to the current limits of knowledge with regard to the nature and history of the universe.

[orangesiscool]

God IS defiance of logic; that is, the believer chooses to defy logic, and calls it God.

That was clearly sarcasm.

Dismuke- That is a large part of quantum physics i'nt it? It doesn't matter if it is true, but if it can be used practicly to get real results.

Also many "savages" were pretty good, specificly many native american beliefs, such as humans and mice being yin and yang and the world getting angry when the balance is broken by to much proximity of the two then sending disease.

Edited September 7, 2006 by orangesiscool