What existed before the Big Bang?

[rockchisler]

That is maybe the most interesting question that floats in my brain, did anything exist before Our universe existed??

http://www.scienceline.org/2006/08/21/ask-snyder-bang/

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

The way I figure, there are questions that humankind will never have the answer to, so I don't worry about it.

[SPTO]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

The way I figure, there are questions that humankind will never have the answer to, so I don't worry about it.

It's a great philosophical question though and one that can lead to many suppositions ranging from the purely scientific, religious or a combination of both.

It's hard to fathom that there was absolutely NOTHING before the Big Bang. My own idea (using the Single Universe theory) is that there was a singularity of such an extreme smallness and density that exploded and gave us the material of the universe we have today.

Not very imaginative but if I get more imaginative it'll only make me think all night long LOL

[BlueNGold]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

I tend to think about these type of things alot. This and stuff like what happens when you die, etc. I try not to think about those things though because then I start tripping my own self out and like MrNFL_FanIQ said, its things we'll probably never know so I try not to think about it.

[rockchisler]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

I think that there was some time of universe before then that 1 collapsed and the big bang brought what we have now. I have a hard time believing there was just a nothingness...

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

You could ponder about the universe and geography. If the universe is expanding every second then what is it expanding into? For example if the limit of the universe is on one side of a line the what is on the other side of that line before the universe expands into it? I guess the same void that existed before the big bang. Thinking about it can make you dizzy.

[sb24]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

I think that there was some time of universe before then that 1 collapsed and the big bang brought what we have now. I have a hard time believing there was just a nothingness...

Well what brought the first one? There is a reason humans dont use the full potential of their brains there are just certin things we are not supposed to understand. And honestly, i feel like the few people in the world who do start to understand things cant explain them to the rest of us so they either dont tell us, or they try and we lable them as crazy.

[rubisco43]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

I read somewhere that some scientists believe that the universe will contract back to the point mass, and the whole process will start over again; meaning point mass, big bang, expanding universe, at which some point it stops expanding and starts contracting BACK to said point mass. Repeat process. Ultimately, I watch Discovery and History channels that talk about the stars and universe and I am basically lost for 1 hour... my brain literally hurts.

[J0nnD0ugh]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

All of this is a bunch of mumbo jumbo.

[MC Fatigue]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

Who knows. The Universe simply doesn't really make sense in the first place, and trying to make sense of it usually just results in even more and more questions.

How can something just go on forever? and how can nothingness even exist - surely something has to exist, but how did it exist in the first place?

Things that honestly no one will ever be able to answer. It's all just far beyond our ability to comprehend.

[daflyboys]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

Twinkies and cockroaches.

[CMH]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

Twinkies and cockroaches.

Those are some stale twinkies right there!

[SPTO]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

I read somewhere that some scientists believe that the universe will contract back to the point mass, and the whole process will start over again; meaning point mass, big bang, expanding universe, at which some point it stops expanding and starts contracting BACK to said point mass. Repeat process. Ultimately, I watch Discovery and History channels that talk about the stars and universe and I am basically lost for 1 hour... my brain literally hurts.

There's also the theory of the "Big Rip" which I think makes more sense in the long run because the universe is expanding at a faster rate now then it has in the past. There's also the Frozen Universe idea as well and it makes just as much sense perhaps even moreso.

The Big Rip says that the universe which is expanding far more rapidly then it has in the past will eventually tear apart and it'll be a rather violent end.

The Frozen Universe goes like this: The universe will keep expanding and at a faster pace so that the distance between stars and galaxies will grow further and further out until there are no more stars in the sky. (from our viewpoint) Eventually the stars will burn out and the temperature of the universe will plummet to the point that there's no heat AT ALL and everything slowly dies.

THE END

Kinda depressing no? Luckily we won't be around to see that happen.

[rspencer86]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

Who knows. The Universe simply doesn't really make sense in the first place, and trying to make sense of it usually just results in even more and more questions.

How can something just go on forever? and how can nothingness even exist - surely something has to exist, but how did it exist in the first place?

Things that honestly no one will ever be able to answer. It's all just far beyond our ability to comprehend.

Never say never... I'm sure a lot of things didn't make sense to humans in the 1300s that are now common knowledge for us today.

[born_bad]

Re: What existed before the Big Bang?

I agree, rspencer86. Pretty discouraging to see so many people reply something along the lines of, "Humans just aren't supposed to understand some things." If we, as humans, had taken that philosophy throughout history, we would still have about as much understanding of the world and universe around us as our primitive ancestors. Questions as simple to us as "What are those lights in the sky?" must have seemed as "impossible to understand" to the cavemen as questions regarding the origins of the uinverse to us. To eventually learn the answer, you have to start by asking the question.

The Frozen Universe goes like this: The universe will keep expanding and at a faster pace so that the distance between stars and galaxies will grow further and further out until there are no more stars in the sky. (from our viewpoint) Eventually the stars will burn out and the temperature of the universe will plummet to the point that there's no heat AT ALL and everything slowly dies.

I've never heard of this and it doesn't make much sense to me. Even if the universe did keep expanding, I'd imagine we would always still see stars in the sky because there are some stars so far away the light hasn't traveled far enough for us to see them yet. It could take millions of years before the light from stars very far away eventually reaches us. Many of the stars we currently see might not even be there anymore, but the light is just reaching us now.

Stars have a finite amount of fuel, so, yes, stars do burn out and all the current stars will eventually die. I don't see why new stars wouldn't continue to be born the way they currently are, though. Stars die and new stars are born and this theory doesn't explain why that woud end.