Cyclic universe could explain cosmic balancing act

Nature Magazine ^ | 04 May 2006 | Philip Ball

[PatrickHenry]

I like this theory. Donno why, but I like it.

[PatrickHenry]

SciencePing

An elite subset of the Evolution list. See the list's explanation at my freeper homepage. Then FReepmail to be added or dropped.

[Brilliant]

"we live in a preposterous universe", says cosmologist Sean Carroll....



You wonder, then, why scientists have such a problem with religion. Why is one brand of incredulity better than another?

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I like this theory. Donno why, but I like it.

I lack the Ph.D level mathematics skill needed to understand modern theories about cosmology in any real way. Any language short of high-level mathematics is going to have trouble expressing the basis for these concepts.

[calex59]

All this empty space and no one knows how it got here, let alone how some of it filled up with suns, planets, black holes, etc.(lots of theories but very little proof and changing all the time). No conclusion to reach from this post just a thought is all.

[Red Badger]

So, the universe is like Swiss cheese?..........

[ToryHeartland]

Steinhardt and Turok say that their idea is testable. The cyclic model predicts that the Big Bang induces gravity waves in space, which physicists are now hunting for. And the decay of the vacuum energy predicts new types of fundamental particles called axions, which may also be detectable.

Big Science at its best! This is very interesting as it stands, I'm keen to see how the axion hunt goes!

[SittinYonder]

"we live in a preposterous universe", says cosmologist Sean Carroll

After that verdict yesterday, who can argue?

[fizziwig]

"we live in a preposterous universe", says cosmologist Sean Carroll...."
___________________________

Compared to what? Some other universe that isn't preposterous? LOL!

[green pastures]

No, no, that's the moon.


;-)

[eyespysomething]

That's preposterous!!

[Red Badger]

The moon is Green Cheese.......

[King Prout]

the bouncing ball theory (or, at least, hypothesis) has been around my whole life.

I keep wondering whether there's any evidence supporting the possibility that this sidereal reality is actually a composite of multiple contemporary or overlapping matter-energy eruptions at different loci.

[Williams]

Frankly, the "preposterous" quotes seemed to be encouraged by a reporter with little scientific background. I don't think the idea of an oscillating universe is that wild, or new.

On a deeper level, the scientists don't know what the heck they are talking about. Their theories and observations have led to a view of the universe that is way beyond common sense and starts to sound like magic, or God.

Just one teeny weeny example. The "cosmological constant" either doesn't exist, or they have no idea what it is. Their observations of the universe don't match what should be the behavior of the "stuff" they know to exist, so the cosmological constant is a number thrown in to make up for the difference. They have no idea what it is or if it is real.

[Brilliant]

Modern physicists especially enjoy coming up with explanations for things that don't make any sense, and then saying something like, "It doesn't have to make sense. It just has to describe reality. Reality doesn't necessarily make sense."

I think Einstein got that started when he came up with the Special Theory of Relativity, which seemed to contradict our common understandings. But the irony is that Einstein insisted that the Theory of Relativity not only made sense, but it was the only possible explanation that did make sense.

[SittinYonder]

This makes me wonder if perhaps it's us living in the Bizarro Universe?

[Chiapet]

I don't suppose that any of you could recommend a good layman's guide to physics. I took a look at 'physics for dummies' (no, I'm not kidding), but I'm not certain that I really trust that series to be accurate.

[eyespysomething]

Yeah, you should see my goody-goody bizarro twin.

[Publius6961]

I dimly recall reading this many years ago, perhaps as early as the 60s.
It was referred to as the oscillating Universe and was another alternative to the "Big Bang".

Bottom line, it's not new and, still, no one has a clue.