(September 11, 2014 at 2:30 pm)sswhateverlove Wrote:(September 11, 2014 at 2:16 pm)pocaracas Wrote: Couldn't read past this, as it seems you are headed to the big unknown, wanting to say something about what we don't know.
What is this "nothing" you speak of?
How do you know there was nothing "before" the big bang?
How do you know there was a "before" the big bang, if the big bang gave rise to space-time itself?
If there's no "before", then how was there "nothing"?
Just putting out there what seems to be the commonly held opinion? Is it yours?
The universe from nothing opinion is not the current scientific consensus.
Unless you do as Krauss does and call the quantum foam "nothing".
I think this just made his book sell like hot cakes and introduce a lot of confusion in the minds of those less educated in these themes.
Nevertheless, it's just speculation.
The reality of the matter is, "the scientific community does not know", meaning we have no way, at the moment, of accessing the required information.
One can speculate, however. The more convincing the speculation, the more traction that idea gains in the public's mind. But, without evidence, it remains a speculation.
And there is no evidence of space-time beyond the Universe... just as there's no evidence that there can't be space-time beyond the Universe, so any speculative guess that ends up using either option is an unfalsifiable possibility. As you can see, this is a gap of scientific knowledge that can be filled by anything anyone dreams of... and, with enough persuasion, that person can convince others that that dream represents reality.
Human psychology is so fallible that such a dream could then easily be propagated through the generations and end up with what we now call religion.
So, do you prefer to have an answer, any answer, regardless of how correct it may be? Or to remain knowingly ignorant and expectant until further information is actually available?
