Lord of Geeks

LordofGeek: What happened before the big bang?

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

I was watching a few documentaries about Time and Space again. Yes, again. Because no matter how many times I think about it, I'm still very fascinated about how everything began. However, even though I already had all the fundamental concepts that I got from the show. Something sparked off, and a link was formed.

For all purposes of this writing, I shall assume that The Big Bang is how the universe is created. I know that there are many ways to make it happen, to list a few:

The singularity explanation
The membranes of different dimensions colliding
The principle of uncertainty

Of course, there are many many more explanations but these are the main and the most probable ones. At least to me. All of these explanations are related to how the big bang occurred, hence the assumption of the Big Bang Theory.

I've thought about this for a long time. About what happened before the big bang. We know that time and is born from the big bang. So what lies beyond that?

Before you continue, I must stress that this is really mind twisting. Because it warps the fabric of reality. Now, proceed to get your mind blown.

I would love to assume that everyone reading this already has a firm understanding all the terms that I'm going to talk about. But judging but the overwhelming disinterest shown by my friends when I try talking to them about such things, I realize that some explanation is needed for this writing.

1. The singularity

The singularity is possibly the first explanation of the big bang. Of how it occurred. Now, to explain what it is.

Imagine, a black hole. The densest material known in the entire universe. The gravity it generates is so huge, not even light could escape it. Now, all matter gets sucked into the center of the black hole. It collapses upon itself, further and further in. Until you reach a point, where the matter no matter how big or dense, is squeezed into a single point in space. That's a singularity.

The idea of singularity, is that our entire universe is created no bigger than a single ice cube. Within it contains all the matter that has ever existed, and a huge explosion causes all the chain reactions to occur, creating our universe.

2. Membranes of different dimensions colliding

This is also known as the M-theory, or string theory.

This is the idea of our world having more than 3 dimensions. (exclude time for this matter) Since what we can see can only be translated into an X Y Z axis. Now, imagine this X Y Z axis dimension, being flattened into a single membrane; The 4th dimension, also another membrane, is separated from it. But just slightly. Both of them will never interact, it will never touch each other.

Which is why we do not see the 4th dimension.

However, there are bound to be irregularities after an infinite amount of time. Something which causes these two membranes to touch each other. When 2 surfaces that should not meet, touches each other, it releases an ridiculous amount of energy, known as the big bang.

3. The principle of uncertainty

Now this is actually better known as the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. (which is based on Schrodinger's Equation) But it's easier for me to refer to it as the uncertainty principle. Now, this actually helps to explain number 1.

Even if the singularity exploded, what caused it to explode?

This theory tries to prove that since anything could be possible, the big bang could have happened, and not have happened, at the same time. Since we know that such event is possible, it could very well triggered the explosion.

To put it simply, anything that could happen, will happen, and has happened.

However, the mind warping thing is. Since the Big Bang created time. Time did not exist before the Big Bang. So how could we ever measure something like that? Let me introduce to you something very weird to think about.

Time.

What is time? Think about it for a second.

Our bodies age. But is it due to time? Or just a chemical reaction in our body? Or, should we think about our time, as the time taken for the chemicals in our body to react in the manner that causes death?

Time did not exist before we try to quantify it. We know speed, we know distance, but what is time? It is not something that we could really quantify it. Here's why. Our most accurate clock known to mankind is called an Atomic Clock. It's based on the frequency of the microwave signal electrons in atoms emit.

In simpler words, we're counting the amount of times it changes it's energy level, and defining that as a second.

Of course, the simple way to calculate time is to divide distance with speed. But as you all know, we need to state speed with respect to time. For example 10m/s. It confuses me, it makes sense, and do not at the same time.

A famous saying goes:

There is no such thing as the present.

Whatever that we think is the present is already the past.

I believe I've screwed your mind enough with concept of time. Now, think, what could possibly happen, when there's no such thing as time? (back to the Big Bang)

It is impossible to explain the Big Bang without breaking the laws of nature. Or is it?

I shall refer back to the Quantum Mechanics that I mentioned earlier (uncertainty principle). Let me refresh your memory, Quantum Mechanics is the physics that states that matter can be in more than one state at the same moment.

To give a quick example:

The ball on the table, can be anywhere else other than the table. There could also be another matter, like a vase, that exists exactly in the same space as the ball.

The thing is, you cannot be certain, until you observe/measure it.
Now, the word measurement in Quantum Mechanics needs to be explained.

The air molecules hitting on the ball, the force of the table pushing up against the ball, the gravity acting on the ball, the light(photons) hitting upon the ball, anything that interacts with it counts as a measurement.

If you're confused, take quick read about the Shrodinger's Cat.

Or a famous saying that someone said to Albert Einstein. (I forgot who it is)

"Can you prove that the moon is in the sky, if you do not observe, or measure it?"

The answer of course, is no. There's no way you could prove it. Which is why Quantum Mechanics is such a mind twisting idea. It breaks our understanding of the world.

Cue, my explanation of how the universe began.

Since, Quantum Mechanics defines that matter exists in an uncertain state unless observed, our universe could very well pop up from no where and it would still abide by the laws of nature.

Think about this.

Before time. There was nothing, not a single atom, not a single trace of anything. Just the void, just a huge empty space. Absolute zero matter. Since there is nothing interacting or measuring. And since there is basically nothing to observe.

Our universe could just, BANG! Appear!

At the very same time, there is also another universe that still has nothing in it at all. The mind blowing thing is, both of them, can exist at the same time.

Of course, we would venture into the theories of parallel and multi universe if I continued. But I shall stop for now as I'm only interested in the creation of our universe.

I believe that my theory is correct. Simple because this is the only theory that abides all the rules of nature. The other theories that includes many other dimensions (up to 11!) just, isn't practical. Yes, those theories make sense mathematically, but only up to a certain point where it all breaks down. (and no I can't make sense of the equations but the physicists themselves claim so)

The only part I find hard to accept about my theory is that something, can be created out of nothing. The more I think about it the less I understand.

And that's the truth behind Quantum physics really.

If you think you understand it,
it just means that you do not know it at all.
It's only when you truly understand it,
that you realize that you do not understand anything at all.

Labels: big bang, featured, heisenberg, lordofgeek, quantum mechanics, quantum physics, schrodinger's cat, schrodinger's equation, singularity, space, string theory, thinking, time, uncertainty principle, universe, wtf