• Question: how did the universe begin?

    Asked by badeggs to Philip, Paddy, Michael, Chris on 22 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Philip Denniff

      Philip Denniff answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      I think this is really one for Chris and I think she will say, the big bang and after that I find it difficult to comprehend. Everything just coming into existence is this God?

    • Photo: Michael Wharmby

      Michael Wharmby answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      Nice question. Probably a question that that science can’t answer (except to say the big bang) right now, though they’re working on it – though I’ll also defer to Chris on this one.
      Failing that, is there an “I’m a Philospher Get me out of here” website? 😉

    • Photo: Chris Jordan

      Chris Jordan answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      I’m afraid that is what I’m going to say – the big bang.
      There was a competing theory of continuous creation (Hoyle) which is neat and doesn’t need us to try and get our minds round a start point before which there was no time or space. It doesn’t fit observations as well as BB though.
      Now I’m going to cheat here and point you at an answer that Evan gave a while ago. at http://ias.im/44.670 Evan was a Postgraduate student here at Jodrell Bank until last year – now he works in Bonn. He’s writing some good essays to answer these questions.

    • Photo: Paddy Brock

      Paddy Brock answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      I don’t know much about the detail of the evidence but agree with all of the above: the big bang is the explanation that best fits the evidence we have at the moment.

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