(August 7, 2013 at 8:38 pm)Terr Wrote: The Big Bang theory simply describes an expanding, cooling universe. As has been demonstrated to be the case.
It sayes NOTHING about what what caused it, or the state before (if there was one). Without evidence this would be utterly un-scientific. However there are a number of competeing hypotheses, time and evidence will tell.
I think you've understated the 'unscientific' argument. Karl Popper spent a large part of his academic life trying to establish demarcation.
I wouldn't like to mislead the OP. The only generally accepted requirement for scientific theory is that it is falsifiable. Even that has problems, I could put forward the theory that the spots on the Sun indicate it will explode in a thousand years, it's falsifiable in principle but not by you or anyone else alive today.
MM
"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions" - Leonardo da Vinci
"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
"I think I use the term “radical” rather loosely, just for emphasis. If you describe yourself as “atheist,” some people will say, “Don’t you mean ‘agnostic’?” I have to reply that I really do mean atheist, I really do not believe that there is a god; in fact, I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one ... etc., etc. It’s easier to say that I am a radical atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it’s an opinion I hold seriously." - Douglas Adams (and I echo the sentiment)
