Inetersting ineded.

Why is there something rather than nothing?

Perhaps because this "something" is the only way things can logically be. My take at least.

I have long felt that 'nothingness' is given way too much privilege as the presumed state of affairs that requires no explanation.

(November 1, 2018 at 8:56 am)Grandizer Wrote: Why is there something rather than nothing?

Perhaps because this "something" is the only way things can logically be. My take at least.

But we're ex post facto to the be/not be issue.

(November 1, 2018 at 4:03 am)downbeatplumb Wrote:

Quote:[/url]

Brian Cox

@ProfBrianCox

2 Jul
[url=https://mobile.twitter.com/ProfBrianCox/status/1013666371547394049]
We don’t know. The universe might be eternal, there may be no beginning. We need (at least) a quantum theory of gravity. But the laws of Nature as we understand them today are compatible with the Universe simply existing. Why is there something rather than nothing? Why not?

This still has nothing to do with a super natural cognition which science is running away from as a requirement. Stephen Hawking, "A God is not required".

It does not matter if "all this" came from nothing, or is the result of the death of prior events. What is not needed as a gap answer is a sky wizard.

(November 1, 2018 at 9:08 am)Mister Agenda Wrote: I have long felt that 'nothingness' is given way too much privilege as the presumed state of affairs that requires no explanation.

Really?

Can you explain more?

(November 1, 2018 at 9:21 am)CarveTheFive Wrote:

(November 1, 2018 at 9:08 am)Mister Agenda Wrote: I have long felt that 'nothingness' is given way too much privilege as the presumed state of affairs that requires no explanation.

Really?

Can you explain more?

How can true nothingness 'exist'? Ignoring the semantics issue of even saying that, how long could a state of nothingness last with no time? No time at all, I'd say. And it seems like there are an infinite number of possible other states than nothingness, but only one way for there to not be anything. And what property of nothingness would prevent there being something, if the only property of nothingness is the absence of anything, including other properties? Absolute nothingness: no matter, energy, space, time, or vacuum fluctuations seems like the most unlikely possible state of affairs to prevail.

(November 1, 2018 at 9:29 am)Mister Agenda Wrote:

(November 1, 2018 at 9:21 am)CarveTheFive Wrote: Really?

Can you explain more?

How can true nothingness 'exist'? Ignoring the semantics issue of even saying that, how long could a state of nothingness last with no time? No time at all, I'd say. And it seems like there are an infinite number of possible other states than nothingness, but only one way for there to not be anything. And what property of nothingness would prevent there being something, if the only property of nothingness is the absence of anything, including other properties? Absolute nothingness: no matter, energy, space, time, or vacuum fluctuations seems like the most unlikely possible state of affairs to prevail.

Yeah.  The concept of "nothingness" is sorta..well, inconceivable.  It's not an idea that I can coherently hold in my head because its definitions are so nonsensical.  And how can nothingness 'exist', if existence is a property of something?