in the begining

[RobPA28]

This question nobody can answer but only give theories and guesses... Have you thought how the World, Universe, Galaxy, milky way (not sure of the order of these in size) all began. I dont mean the big bang but where the devil did it all come from? I keep trying to think ' out of the box' here and how it all started? where did space come from? where did all the planets and stars come from? How did it suddenly appear?? where did it all start god damn it!

[heathfield]

I've definitely thought about these things. Then I've asked myself, 'If I never find out, does it make any difference?' My answer to this is, 'No. Not really.'

[joko]

there are only theories and guesses as no-one knows or ever will know.

the big bang is the only theory of how it all started and where it all came from that is largely accepted as the most likely

[wiggum]

If the big bang theory is to be believed, nothing existed before it. Or at least nothing that can be explained. I think thats why the boundaries between science and religion get blurred around this subject.

[RobPA28]

If nothing existed before how did it all come together... what is nothing?

[Postdog]

You'll go mental you will....

[badlad.biz]

We are obviously not the brighest species on the planet, otherwise why would we encumber ourselves with fruitless persuits such as working a nightshift (as I am at the moment). What makes you think our peanut brains have the mental capacity to even comprehend Space or even the Galaxy, let alone start a 5 dimentional universe. We can't even get our heads around the two dimentional state we enter when we die!
I suppose I'm saying, I haven't a clue

[mibn2cweus]

Given where we were and what we knew collectively about all this a thousand or even a hundred years ago the progress we have made in understanding our planet, or Sun, our solar system, our galaxy and the universe as a whole is simply astounding. It was only a little over 500 years ago we were still living on a planet whose edge was an abyss that if anyone dared to venture to far they would certainly never be seen again. Less that 50 years ago, we landed on our Moon and returned to tell about it, an event first witnessed by many still living today. If it were not for fantastic developements, many a product of space exploration technologies, you would most likely not be reading this now. When we lose the curiosity to further understand, ourselves, each other and the amazing universe we live in then religion will be all that is left to numb our imaginations.

[jake-the-peg]

We believe the big bang theory for two good reasons:

1) We see all the galaxys rushing away from each other (run that backwards you get to an obvious start)

2) We can see the "echo" - there is a background heat to the universe that was predicted from the big bang some years before it was found accidently - it matched the prediction almost exactly.


The big bang is often visualised as a gigantic star exploding - it was not, it was the creation of space and crucially time.

This is not the sort of thing that we can picture. All of our experience happens in time, our language is structured around the concept of time.

You cannot talk about "before" the big bang because time did not exist.

Trying to think about it in English is like trying to split an atom with a hammer and chisel

[yigoh]

For there to be nothing there has to be something? I guess.
Postdog :-)

[compman]

It's because of the complexity of questions like this, most people prefer to get engrossed in things like 'Eastenders', 'Coronation Street' and even 'Big Brother'.

You can't comprehend it - so don't.

Can't stop now, 'Countdown' is coming on soon.

[jake-the-peg]

And it's because most people prefer Eastenders that some of us find it so attractive!

[RobPA28]

thanks for everyones thoughts... but I guess none of us got close and suppose never will...cant lose any more sleep over this!

[Segilla]

Sixty years ago my dad used to say something like , "Man's brain is too puny to anwer this question."
Last year in an eggheads discussion programme a speaker copped out by saying it was a philosophical problem.

[igenioramus]

Jake the peg's answer offers a good place to start for more in-depth inquiry. Id just like to add this to get a handle on some of the terms you used, Rob.

How many galaxies can we see from the Earth? One: our galaxy, the Milky Way. It has 100 billion stars. (The nearest star is the Sun, and at 1 million times the volume of the Earth, it is about average sized for a star.)

Beyond the Milky Way are another 100 BILLION GALAXIES. Collectively this is the Known Universe, or the Cosmos.

Sleep well

[RobPA28]

Thanks Igenioramus for putting the records straight. However, it does lead me back to my original question in a way. Using the following analogy, if the universe were a similar shape to a goldfish bowl and we were able to step into a space ship which travelled at a trillion miles per second.. (now thats fast!) we would soon get to the edge of the universe, as I asume we all agree nothing goes on forever, my question is 'what is beyond that edge'? If you know of any interesting links that tries to answer it I would be interested to know... hmmm.. I must try and get a life!!

[DraiodoirX]

The way i see it were not the first big bang babies, the universe expands to its maximum and collapses in on it self, at which point the "big bang" happens again, each time different "scenarios" are played out and each time the universe learns a little more about its self, each scenario takes billion maybe trillions of years perhaps more (considering no human will ever actually know its pointless to argue), you see we are the universe broken down in to pieces trying to understand its self, and its reason for being, kind of like us seeking the "big answers" who are we, why are we here. Each time all the atoms in the universe are jumbled about to see how different combos work out, just think every atom in your body was once part of a star... were all star children....

[DraiodoirX]

as for beyond the edge, well again something no human, perhaps no race will ever know, my theory again, just like the last only a theory, beyond the edge is another universe just like our own, growing to its limits and collapsing back, they're also part of something more, that i think for the moment at least we dont have the capacity to understand... perhaps when their questions are answered so too will ours...

[RobPA28]

it may come down to 'ignorance is bliss!' i always worry if ever we found any other form of life on another planet that it will be the end of us on this planet! We cant live peacefully with the people on earth, god knows how we would react to aliens... Can you imagine a space ship landing on earth.. we would probably nuke it before you could say Capt. Kirk!!all those sci fi movies about aliens have a worrying ring to them...

[igenioramus]

I think some theorists have it that you can't escape our expanding goldfish-bowl universe, even in theory. Imagining space beyond space is like imagining the time before time - meaningless.

But rather than your spacecraft hitting a brick wall at the edge of space, you'll simply find yourself at the opposite end of the universe heading in the way! I dunno!

DraiodoirX seems to sense some unfolding conscious purpose behind our universe. He's in good intellectual company, but with equally eloquent opponents (with more credibility in mainstream science) who see a background of blind indifference to it all, beautiful and magnificent though it is. I urge everyone to watch as many complete interviews on http://meaningoflife.tv/ as they can, for a fascinating range of speakers on cosmic matters.