Re:The Trouble with “The Big Bang”
by jbotz on Sunday September 11, 2022 @02:39PM
(#32802123)
Sabine tries to clarify the various meanings of "Big Bang" here, but one thing confused me more in her explanation... she says, that Einstein's theory "breaks down 10^-43 seconds before the mathematical singularity" and later "until we reach an energy density that roughly corresponds to that which the Large Hadron Collider probes, which brings us to about 10^-12 seconds before the hypothetical Big Bang Event". Given that she defines the "hypothetical Big Bang Event" as the mathematical singularity, shouldn't that be "after" rather than "before" in both cases?
Re:The Trouble with “The Big Bang”
by ccvannorman on Sunday September 11, 2022 @10:21PM
(#32805335)
it is my understanding that Sabine's intention is to say "as you go further back in time, approaching some singularity, Thing Happens at N seconds before you get all the way back to the singularity". So, I think you are correct, and her phrasing has caused this confusion around "before" and "after" terms.
Re:The Trouble with “The Big Bang”
by 8bitsrule on Monday September 12, 2022 @12:10AM
(#32805997)
"13.7 billion years in the past, both density and temperature become infinite."
This seems like an article of faith. In mathematics, I guess. At any rate, I see a lack of anything resembling evidence that such a state is even possible. Let alone that everything we do observe is the inevitable result of it. Infinite "density and temperature"? We've not seen or measured anything like this. Nor will we, ever. Why have we 'bet the farm' on it?
The BB solved some problems when it was proposed, IIRC. Worth following up on. But if it's getting in the way of a better hypothesis, then I'd like to hear about that.
Re:The Trouble with “The Big Bang”
by tromp on Sunday September 11, 2022 @05:27AM
(#32798171)
Is it just me, or does the Brave Browser (Version 1.40.113 Chromium: 103.0.5060.114 (Official Build) (x86_64) on macOS Catalina 10.15.7)
have trouble showing this web page, constantly trying to show a subscribe message and having it blocked causing lots of flickering?
Re:The Trouble with “The Big Bang”
by puffoflogic on Sunday September 11, 2022 @12:43PM
(#32801137)
> The reader is misled to think that evidence for the expansion of the universe is evidence that the universe began with the Big Bang Event, which is incorrect.
"Incorrect" is a needlessly violent word to use here when motte-and-bailey arguments are the heart and soul of popsci in $current_year.
This seems like an article of faith. In mathematics, I guess. At any rate, I see a lack of anything resembling evidence that such a state is even possible. Let alone that everything we do observe is the inevitable result of it. Infinite "density and temperature"? We've not seen or measured anything like this. Nor will we, ever. Why have we 'bet the farm' on it?
The BB solved some problems when it was proposed, IIRC. Worth following up on. But if it's getting in the way of a better hypothesis, then I'd like to hear about that.
"Incorrect" is a needlessly violent word to use here when motte-and-bailey arguments are the heart and soul of popsci in $current_year.