Nope, there was no “before” the big bang. Time just started. If you could travel backwards in time, eventually you wouldn’t be able to go any farther. It’s like the north pole: you can walk north until you reach it, then you can’t walk any further north.
You seem so certain that there was nothing before the big bang. I’m interested in how you managed to gain access to such information. Tell me, how can you be so certain?
It is widely believed today that time cannot exist without space. It’s just another dimension (often referred to as the fourth dimension). Therefore, under the Big Bang model, both time and space began at the Big Bang. In 1905, Einstein introduced the concept of space-time in his theory of special relativity. We believe relativity to be true because it made certain predictions, and recently we’ve been able to successfully verify those predictions.
Although the Big Bang model is the best working theory today, there are physicists currently working on combining relativity with quantum mechanics which may result in predictions just prior to the Big Bang. If you’re interested in relativity, there are lots of books on the topic including Hawking’s A Brief History of Time.
As he said, time started with the big bang. It results from the theory of relativity and big bang theory. It’s just currently the most plausible explanation of things.
One of the theories is that the universe is actually engaged in a cycle of big bangs. That each universe eventually collapses onto itself, then another big bang is started.
Another one is that the universe “budded” off of another universe. A process which has no known beginning.
Basically, it is quite possible that “time” existed “before” our Big Bang, but as far as our individual universe is concerned, there isn’t any.
@PHICON: you will get a reply to this question maybe in a few decades, or more likely in a few hundred years. So, Wes&Tony, be sure to leave this discussion open 🙂
just because time didnt exist doesnt necessarily mean reality didnt exist, something had to start the big bang, in order for an explosion to occur; matter had to exist as well as the laws of physics. the answer is not so black and white
The Big Bang is not an explosion. It’s an expansion from a singularity. Time did and didn’t exist before the Big Bang. It’s both because ultimately it’s unknowable. At the time of the singularity, the universe was a single point, during which time, space, and the laws of physics themselves were not only irrelevant but simply didn’t exist. Before the Big Bang there might have been a universe of some kind, but all information regarding that ‘pre-universe’ was destroyed as soon as it became a singularity.
You’re misunderstanding the term Big Bang. It was not a literal explosion that filled an existing space, it created space, and by extension time, as it went along. The laws of physics as we understand them only apply to our universe and there is no reason to assume that they apply elsewhere. While it is assumed that cause and effect relate in our universe, this may not be true other places due to differing laws of physics.
Okay, here’s the deal:
Modern physicists _don’t know_ about conditions in the very early universe. There’s an entire branch of physics devoted to figuring out what things were like a tiny fraction of a second after what’s commonly called the Big Bang.
Furthermore, the current state of affairs is that we’re pretty sure we _can’t_ know what happened before the Big Bang. Not that there wasn’t a before, just that we’re very unlikely to be able to learn about it if there were.
These things may change, but the whole “time started at the Big Bang” idea is a popular misrepresentation of what actual physicists feel certain about. The idea that “time may as well have started then” is a vastly qualitatively different statement.
time before the big bang doesn’t make sense, but then again, neither does the big bang really. as said, we just assume matter existed a priori, which is pretty poor science. furthermore, before the big bang we have our “extremely dense state” that went bang. how does this change in state occur without time? how does it progress instead of staying frozen in it’s state? it’s a good question broseph. but more importantly, nice comic.
Yes. You have fought well little one, and when your time comes, the great light will devour you, and you will be as one with the happiness.
Go now, in peace, and prepare for the day that you are swallowed by the mighty whiteness.
I believe the universe reached it’s end, and everything got sucked into an black hole. then the black hole suffered overload and exsploded. and thus we obtain the Big Bang
Nope, there was no “before” the big bang. Time just started. If you could travel backwards in time, eventually you wouldn’t be able to go any farther. It’s like the north pole: you can walk north until you reach it, then you can’t walk any further north.
You seem so certain that there was nothing before the big bang. I’m interested in how you managed to gain access to such information. Tell me, how can you be so certain?
Mathermatrics.
Well, the big bang created both time and space, so it’s impossible to be “before” something when time does not exist.
It is widely believed today that time cannot exist without space. It’s just another dimension (often referred to as the fourth dimension). Therefore, under the Big Bang model, both time and space began at the Big Bang. In 1905, Einstein introduced the concept of space-time in his theory of special relativity. We believe relativity to be true because it made certain predictions, and recently we’ve been able to successfully verify those predictions.
Although the Big Bang model is the best working theory today, there are physicists currently working on combining relativity with quantum mechanics which may result in predictions just prior to the Big Bang. If you’re interested in relativity, there are lots of books on the topic including Hawking’s A Brief History of Time.
Obviously, he tried to time-travel to before the big bang.
Obvious. He’s The Doctor.
As he said, time started with the big bang. It results from the theory of relativity and big bang theory. It’s just currently the most plausible explanation of things.
One of the theories is that the universe is actually engaged in a cycle of big bangs. That each universe eventually collapses onto itself, then another big bang is started.
Another one is that the universe “budded” off of another universe. A process which has no known beginning.
Basically, it is quite possible that “time” existed “before” our Big Bang, but as far as our individual universe is concerned, there isn’t any.
Honestly, though, it’s not a problem when you bring up science. It’s a problem when you make theories sound like facts.
but what created the big bang?
@PHICON: you will get a reply to this question maybe in a few decades, or more likely in a few hundred years. So, Wes&Tony, be sure to leave this discussion open 🙂
just because time didnt exist doesnt necessarily mean reality didnt exist, something had to start the big bang, in order for an explosion to occur; matter had to exist as well as the laws of physics. the answer is not so black and white
The Big Bang is not an explosion. It’s an expansion from a singularity. Time did and didn’t exist before the Big Bang. It’s both because ultimately it’s unknowable. At the time of the singularity, the universe was a single point, during which time, space, and the laws of physics themselves were not only irrelevant but simply didn’t exist. Before the Big Bang there might have been a universe of some kind, but all information regarding that ‘pre-universe’ was destroyed as soon as it became a singularity.
You’re misunderstanding the term Big Bang. It was not a literal explosion that filled an existing space, it created space, and by extension time, as it went along. The laws of physics as we understand them only apply to our universe and there is no reason to assume that they apply elsewhere. While it is assumed that cause and effect relate in our universe, this may not be true other places due to differing laws of physics.
Okay, here’s the deal:
Modern physicists _don’t know_ about conditions in the very early universe. There’s an entire branch of physics devoted to figuring out what things were like a tiny fraction of a second after what’s commonly called the Big Bang.
Furthermore, the current state of affairs is that we’re pretty sure we _can’t_ know what happened before the Big Bang. Not that there wasn’t a before, just that we’re very unlikely to be able to learn about it if there were.
These things may change, but the whole “time started at the Big Bang” idea is a popular misrepresentation of what actual physicists feel certain about. The idea that “time may as well have started then” is a vastly qualitatively different statement.
time before the big bang doesn’t make sense, but then again, neither does the big bang really. as said, we just assume matter existed a priori, which is pretty poor science. furthermore, before the big bang we have our “extremely dense state” that went bang. how does this change in state occur without time? how does it progress instead of staying frozen in it’s state? it’s a good question broseph. but more importantly, nice comic.
Most scientific discoveries occurred during hand jobs.
No, that’s the sound you hear just before the “big bang.”
//yes, everything ends, eventually//
But will it end… happily?
Yes. You have fought well little one, and when your time comes, the great light will devour you, and you will be as one with the happiness.
Go now, in peace, and prepare for the day that you are swallowed by the mighty whiteness.
:DDD
Nailed it again.
the big hand job came before the big bang.
And then BANG! LIFE ALL OVER THE FLOOR
That’s how Albert Einstein found out he wasn’t gay…
I think after the fourth round, it needs a little break anyway.
the sound of one hand fapping
I believe the universe reached it’s end, and everything got sucked into an black hole. then the black hole suffered overload and exsploded. and thus we obtain the Big Bang
“That’s NOT what I meant by ‘I need a hand with this wormhole’ “