[extropy-chat] Big Bang & "the origin of the Universe"

[Russell Wallace]

On 2/5/06, Jeff Medina <analyticphilosophy at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Big Bang physics does not imply the creation or origin of the
> Universe. According to the theory and the data supporting it, the
> "initial state" of the Universe simply refers to the earliest point
> from which data was preserved in a form we are currently capable of
> investigating in some way.


Suppose there is indeed no information about what if anything existed before
the Big Bang (rather than said information just not being detectable with
current technology). Then any belief about said prior state is going to be
philosophical rather than scientific; said prior state is not part of our
universe; and it is true to say the Big Bang is the origin of the universe.

Of course we can't prove that this is in fact the case - perhaps better
instruments, better theories or whatever in the future will provide
information about the state of affairs before the Big Bang. But in the
absence of any such today it is reasonable to adopt the view that the Big
Bang was the origin of the universe _as a working hypothesis until shown
otherwise_; I don't see any error here.

If someone were to claim it as certain fact, that would be different of
course, but I haven't seen anyone do that.

- Russell
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