Big Bang Theory or can we drop 'theory' now?

[Moonliner]

From the news today:

Originally Posted by News

By the faint cosmic glow of the oldest known light, physicists say they have found evidence that the universe grew to astounding proportions in less than the blink of an eye.

Two comments on this..

I guess that sort blows the "nothing is faster than light" theory. Unless light was a lot faster back then....

Also, can you name anything in nature that happens once? Planets, stars, hurricanes, rain, etc?? Why would you think there was only one "big bang"? I'd guess our 'big bang' was just one of an uncountable number of similar events and that our current concept of the 'universe' is really just one little drop in an ocean of "big bangs".

[Ghoulish Delight]

Two answer your two questions:

1) Essentially, yes the speed of light was a lot faster back then. At least, so goes a current viable theory, that the density and extreme temperature of the universe meant the speed of light was faster (i.e., the speed of light in a vacuum is constant for any single state of the universe. At this point, the rate of expansion has slowed enough that the continued variation is imperceptible on a human scale)

2) You've hit upon another common viable theory, that the universe does through periodic expansion and contraction. Some observations seem to suggest that perhaps the current rate of expansion is slowing, signaling that the next contraction is coming "soon" (i.e., several billion years).

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Two answer your two questions:

2) You've hit upon another common viable theory, that the universe does through periodic expansion and contraction. Some observations seem to suggest that perhaps the current rate of expansion is slowing, signaling that the next contraction is coming "soon" (i.e., several billion years).

No, what I am saying is that there are "big bangs" going off all the time all over the place. What we currently see and think of as "The universe" is but one grain of sand to the true universe.

Also, just for the record, current observations show that the rate of expansion is not slowing. It is in fact Accelerating.

[scaeagles]

In a battle of the four fundamentals forces - being electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, and gravity - gravity will win every time. May take a while, but it will, and eventually the universe will collapse back upon itself.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

In a battle of the four fundamentals forces - being electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, and gravity - gravity will win every time. May take a while, but it will, and eventually the universe will collapse back upon itself.

Dinner at Milliways, anyone?

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

In a battle of the four fundamentals forces - being electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, and gravity - gravity will win every time. May take a while, but it will, and eventually the universe will collapse back upon itself.

Not necessarily. You are assuming a universe that is essentially coasting. That does not seem to be the case. As I posted above the "universe" has been shown to be accelerating.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Not necessarily. You are assuming a universe that is essentially coasting. That does not seem to be the case. As I posted above the "universe" has been shown to be accelerating.

Nope. I am assuming a universe that is not accelerating as quickly as it once did. From what I've read, over the next several billion years, the acceleration will continue to slow to a point where it is not accelarating any longer, and gravity will take over, leading to the "big crunch".

[Alex]

Big Crunch or Eternal Expansion have been the question for a couple decades now but the recent evidence is pointing towads Eternal Expansion and figuring out where the energy for that is coming from is a new Big Question.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Nope. I am assuming a universe that is not accelerating as quickly as it once did. From what I've read, over the next several billion years, the acceleration will continue to slow to a point where it is not accelarating any longer, and gravity will take over, leading to the "big crunch".

Fair enough, but how about this..

You are also assuming that there are no outside influences acting on what us puny humans think is the universe.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Fair enough, but how about this..

You are also assuming that there are no outside influences acting on what us puny humans think is the universe.

Oh, I agree....I'm not thowing in any of my personal religious beliefs into this whatsoever, as that would certainly take it a bit off topic. Trust me - both in the supernatural realm and in the natural realm there is WAY too much that we have no clue about to make any sort of theory that will last longer than the next important discovery will allow it to. In that way, I agree with ISM wholeheartedly.