2.0.2 How the Universe Began: Cosmology - Overview

Version 1.2 March 2012                                               (Previous Version)

Cosmology is a work in progress. 

Scientists have excellent theories about how the universe evolved from the big bang, which reconcile closely with scientific observations.  But the main scientific theories break down at the very beginning of the Big Bang, and scientists can’t yet explain “dark matter” and “dark energy”. 

We don’t know what happened before the big bang.  No-one does.  No religion explains existence itself: even if God made the world, we can’t explain God’s existence: who made God?

Still, what we do know is well worth knowing.  Though we don’t know what happened right at the Big Bang, or before it, we do know how physical forces, matter, galaxies and stars evolved after it.

The fundamental constants of nature (such as the speed of light and the charge on an electron) have values that allowed humans to evolve.  If the fundamental forces were different (strong and weak nuclear forces, electromagnetism and gravity) then we might not be here.  We show that ideas such as the multiverse and inflation can explain why the universe seems to be so well suited to life.

The detailed pages of Chapter 2.2 go through the main stages of the evolution of the universe. 

·       As the initial hot ball of energy expanded and cooled, the strong and weak nuclear forces began to be effective and quarks combined into protons and neutrons – the first matter. 

·       After more expansion and cooling the electromagnetic force became effective and protons and neutrons combined with electrons to form atoms – mostly hydrogen and some helium. 

·       As the atoms formed light could traverse the space between them. 

·       Later gravity became effective and hydrogen and helium atoms coalesced into rotating clouds. 

·       Gravity pulled many gas clouds into dense rotating spheres, packed so tight that hydrogen atoms fused together in nuclear reactions, making helium and light: the stars began to shine.

·       When the hydrogen ran out some stars compacted even more, causing the helium atoms to fuse together into bigger atoms such as carbon and oxygen, and eventually all the 92 elements.

·       When some of these stars exploded they spread these elements throughout space.

We work through the next level of detail on each of the above issues (more).  After considering this evidence, we’ve looked for a way to state our conclusions briefly, and we come to the following summary.

Is this the best way to state our conclusions in this area?  Click on feedback, or add a comment below, if you can improve the substance or the phrasing.

  more                                                              Statement 8

The story science tells us of the origins of the universe is majestic.  No other philosophy, life stance or religion explains in such detail how the forces of nature work.  We expect that as scientists learn more then our current story will be replaced by one that’s even more comprehensive, an even better story.

Science confirms that it is reasonable to value life, meaning to focus our attention on this life (not the after life or the before life), to focus on nature, not superstition or the supernatural.