Question:
Does anyone still believe in the Big Bang theory?
Kenji
2009-10-04 12:23:31 UTC
My beliefs aside (I am a Babtist Christian), does anyone still follow this theory? I don't even need to prove it didn't happen with the Bible, considering it is so full of holes already.

The universe (correct me if my version is "too simple") came into existance without the help of any form of deity, including God. At one point, there was nothing (agreed?), but, at a point, according to the Theory, the nothingness collided with more nothingness and an explosion occured, forcing the creation of, at the very least, nine planets and a flaming ball of gas capable of surviving under its own power for (again, according to the theory) several billion years.

Also, the planets distanced themselves perfectly to orbit the ball of flaming gas, not to mention several other SMALLER bodies that began to rotate around the planets.

And at some point, life formed. Anyone follow that?
Fourteen answers:
Raymond
2009-10-04 12:59:09 UTC
The theory was started by a priest who happened to be a very good mathematician and a good astronomer.



It was designed after the observation that the universe was expanding (an observation that was confirmed by the astronomer Hubble -- the space telescope is named in his honor).



When it was first presented, most scientists were wary of it: it sounded like an attempt to give God a role to play in the creation of the universe (especially given that it came from a priest).



The only other serious theory at the time was called Steady State theory. It was championed by Fred Hoyle, probably the best astrophysicist at the time (and certainly in the top ten of all times).



Fred was a proud atheist. He was proud to say it publicly. He said that the Steady State theory (preferred by scientists because the calculations were easier) gave cosmologists everything they needed to explain the behavior of the universe AND, as a bonus, it proved that God did not exist:

eternal universe = no creation = no creator.



Fred is the one who gave it the awful name 'Big Bang' during a radio interview, and made fun of the idea that the universe came out of nothing (which is NOT what the theory claims).



The Big Bang theory only explains what happens to a universe that expands (and cools) from a state of unbounded energy density. The theory only works if you accept that the energy was already there (the theory does not even try to explain why it was there).



Of course, because of his "day job" (priest), I'm sure Father Lemaitre believed that this purest form of energy must have been the work of God, or even A part of God Himself.



But to those who, at the time, wanted to use the theory to prove God's existence, Father Lemaitre would give this warning: The Big Bang theory works whether you believe in God or not.



So far, the only serious arguments that I have heard against the theory come from atheists.
nodell
2016-09-26 05:05:16 UTC
I am an agnostic and no, I don't suppose the significant bang idea. This is undoubtedly for the reason that I should not have adequate abilities of the area. However, I suppose that the significant bang idea might no longer have occurred for the reason that it defies such a lot of regulations and legislation that I have discovered by way of physics. There is not any manner I can see that the whole thing within the universe might were compacted into one factor, one atom and with none outside help, develop quickly to the universe as it's in these days. I suppose that this "idea" used to be created so as to provide an explanation for a taking place (the establishing of the universe and time) that men and women can not work out. People can not picture the life of a probability that the universe might were indefinite, with no establishing or an finish and accordingly a idea used to be created with what I remember bogus proof with a purpose to fulfill the men and women's crave of an reply to a notion they decline to clutch.
eri
2009-10-04 12:32:54 UTC
The big bang is a scientific theory - you either accept the evidence for it or you do not. There's no belief involved. Belief is for things that have no evidence to support them - like gods.



It's no wonder you don't accept the big bang - you don't have clue what it is. You really need to read up on these things before claiming it doesn't make any sense; you're just making yourself look foolish. That's certainly not helping your case for gods existing. The universe is 13.7 billion years old - the planets in our solar system are less than 5 billion years old. The big bang was not an explosion. And you apparently don't even know how the Sun works. Please take a high school science class and then get back to us.
Vulture P
2009-10-04 12:34:40 UTC
Well how about your way that the universe was created. A deity came and created the world in 6 days. He then created Man. Then woman from the rib of a man. So two naked people in a magical garden with a tree of knowledge. A talking snake convinces those two to eat the forbidden fruit of that tree. Does that make any sense at all? If you looked deeper into the big bang theory, then you'd understand it. But you're just one of the many religious freaks that just want to prove science wrong.
Brigalow Bloke
2009-10-04 15:19:33 UTC
Here we go again. I have seen questions almost identical to yours from people with the same religious affiliations and they all make the same mistakes. In every case they confuse the theory of the origin of the Universe with a completely different theory concerning the formation of our solar system.



The fact that these mistakes are identical show that the source is the same.



According to the big bang theory, as I understand it, the Universe expanded from a small point. This involved the simultaneous creation or appearance, whatever you like, of space and time. Since time did not exist before, asking what happened "before" has no meaning and no answer because there was no "before" in any way that makes sense to us.



There are mathematical simulations that might describe what the "cause" was including your descriptions of some things colliding but these are speculative and there is no physical evidence to support them. Therefore they are NOT part of the standard theory,



The energy density or temperature in this expanding patch of space and time was soon very high, too high for matter to exist. So at that point the Universe had a mass of zero.



By about three minutes after the absolute beginning, some of the energy had "congealed" into the sub-atomic particles that go to make up the nuclei of atoms. This actually happens all the time in high energy physics experiments and in cosmic rays striking the Earth, so it is not new to science. But the energies involved are smaller by far than those available in the early seconds of the Universe.



Calculations based on thermonuclear weapons, which are devices that work only too well, show that the average composition of this mixture should have been about 73% hydrogen nuclei, 25% helium nuclei and the remaining 2% lithium and boron nuclei.



Spectroscopic measurements of our Sun, other stars and other galaxies which have been done for well over a hundred years show that this is still the average chemical composition of the Universe (with the addition of some heavier elements whose origin is known to have been much later).. So the theory makes a prediction which can be tested and the prediction turns out to be correct. This is called "evidence".



As the Universe expanded, the energy density or temperature decreased. At some point, perhaps about 100,000 to 300,000 years later, I don't remember exactly, the temperature was low enough for atoms to form. This caused a burst of lower energy radiation to fill the Universe as electrons dropped into orbit around nuclei. As the Universe has continued to expand, the wavelength of this radiation has increased.



Predictions in the late 1940s or early 1950s said that this radiation would now be characteristic of an ideal black body with a temperature of between 2 and 3 Kelvin.



In 1964 - 65 this radiation was accidentally discovered by two physicists who were setting up an antenna to be used with communications satellites. Measurements of the characteristics of this radiation show the prediction from about 15 years before was correct. It has been measured many times since from the ground and from satellites and the agreement with the theory is exquisite. This is called "evidence".



The real reason the theory developed at all was that distant galaxies were noted to be receding from us. That was first spotted in the early 1900s and confirmed and roughly measured in the 1920s At first this was thought to be due to some sort of explosion but later work showed that it was due to an expansion of space itself. This happens to agree with Einstein's theory of relativity, which is known to be correct from other evidence. This recession of distant galaxies also is called "evidence".



Much later in the history of the Universe the first stars began to form from the hydrogen, helium, boron and lithium. There were no planets, only stars because the elements like silicon, iron, carbon oxygen etc that go to make up planets did not exist.



The big bang theory says nothing, absolutely nothing about the formation of planets, which came a very long time after the start of the Universe. It also says nothing about the appearance of life. It says nothing about the existence or non-existence of any god. By implication it means that Genesis is literally wrong but that has been known for centuries anyway.



Now what are the physical, measurable consequences of the creation of the Universe 6,000 or 100,000 years ago?



Would you care to explain the recession of distant galaxies, the cosmic microwave background, the average chemical composition of the Universe, the apparent age of some stars, the formation of the heavier chemical elements, the causes of novae, supernovae, neutron stars, black holes, the age of the Earth calculated from uranium - lead measurements, the age of rocks from potassium - argon neasurements, the fully documented ages given by ice cores, tree rings and lake deposits.



When you have demonstrated an understanding of the the big bang theory actually says and can attack the mathematics involved, then you may have some basis to dispute it. Even better, find some real physical evidence with a documented origin. "Plutonium haloes" probably don't qualify. So far you have not demonstrated any understanding or any evidence.



Good Day.
lavalamp3773
2009-10-04 12:29:12 UTC
From your description it is clear that you do not understand the big bang theory, even at a basic level. It also seems as though you do not wish to.



If I am incorrect about that last point, and you genuinely wish to understand fully, then leave a message to that effect and I will post correct information with sources for you to read. Otherwise it is pointless to argue the issue with you.



I will correct you on one thing now though, you said, "At one point, there was nothing (agreed?)" Well, no, not agreed. The big bang theory says nothing about what existed or what happened "before" the big bang, and in fact the use of the word before presupposes the existance of time, which may or may not have come into being with the big bang.
anonymous
2009-10-04 12:37:22 UTC
No person needs to "believe" anything in science. "Beliefs" are ideas accepted without any proof, but science has much proof for all of its ideas. The most educated, intelligent, objective and logical people accept the Big Bang (that does not include creationists who are quite the opposite of all these traits), because it has more proof than any alternative theories. Myths of creation are not scientific theories, because they have no proof at all. You do not understand cosmogony at all. Please read some real science, not just creationist distortions of it. Science has no need for any gods. It has explanations for many things, and beliefs in gods explain nothing. I do not have time to tell you all about the Big Bang, but you are wrong about it, and I think you are just blindly repeating creationist propaganda about it. Have you ever heard of a "straw man" argument. This is what you are presenting here. People who know science are certain to correct your naive beliefs that have no basis.
anonymous
2009-10-04 13:19:48 UTC
A nice attempt at trolling, but unfortunately for you the Big Bang has the consensual support of virtually every professional physicist, cosmologist and astronomer in the world. The only people who seem hell bent on "disproving" it (as if they could) are creationists such as yourself. I'm afraid that when it comes to a scientific argument, you wouldn't even get past first base.



Normally I would address criticisms of the Big Bang by contradicting the points made against the theory. It is patently obvious to me that you have not read one line of text about the theory, and thus your "argument" is both null and void.
anonymous
2009-10-04 12:36:25 UTC
Before you declare yourself smarter than the scientists who worked for many years to come up with the big bag theory, you should at least do some research about it so you can understand it, or at least accurately describe it. If you think 'god' created everything then talk about that in the religion category. This category is for science.
lktraden39
2009-10-04 14:11:41 UTC
The answer's are pointless, there is no way of knowing how it all began. The only truth is that it can end in an instant. More than likely no one will ever see it coming. A 10 mile wide asteroid at 45 miles a second on a collision course out of the sun's direction. Or if you do have a week to look at it coming in. Everyone run up and down the street and say "Goodbye".
Lola F
2009-10-04 12:39:48 UTC
"Prove it with the Bible?" Don't make me laugh. The bible is disproven by the Eddas, which clearly and absolutely state that the the world was created by the frost giant Ymir after drinking the cow Audhumbla's milk, and that his armpit sweat then begat the various gods and goddesses, who overthrew him, and then Odin made people out of tree trunks.
Snow Leo
2009-10-04 12:50:18 UTC
what exactly is your question... well i have always believed in the big bang theory..

and you should read more about the creation of the universe.. seems like your somewhat lacked of knowledge at that case..

i recommend you to read: "Brief history of time" or "The universe in a nutshell" both books by stephen hawking.
anonymous
2009-10-04 12:40:30 UTC
What happens when a theory is finally proven to be a fact?...what do we call it then?

The reason it doesn't matter is we are all born , live, then die.that,s just the way it is.

If there is life after our bodies become of no use to us remains to be seen.
Leigh
2009-10-04 12:38:34 UTC
You have to admit, without a God the universe could never have come into being.

Things don't just form out of nothingness.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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