Creating Universe from "Nothing": Astrophysicists Debate

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In summary, a group of astrophysicists were debating about the concept of "nothing" and its role in the creation of the universe. Some argued that a complete absence of everything is not possible, while others proposed that a vacuum free of matter could still have fields present. The idea of "nothing" was questioned as a logical falsehood that should be moved away from by both scientists and theists. The thread was temporarily closed for moderation due to its philosophical nature.
  • #1
Adamchiv
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Please forgive me if this is just philosophy. I was watching an event where niel degrasse tyson invited several other astrophysicists to debate about how a universe can come from nothing.

Now obviously lawrence krauss uses the word nothing in an ambiguous way and can easily be misinterperated. So these astrophysicists were all giving various definitions of nothing and what occurred to me is they didnt really touch upon the true definition of nothing. Which is absolutely nothing, nothing whatsoever, can't even be visualised, the abscense of everything at all ever.

Now surely from a scientific standpoint we cannot even have an ounce of confidence that there was ever nothing at all, on a very basic level if anything was ever the triggering factor for the beginning of time then nothing is a complete falsehood.

By the way, this works just the same for creationists as if god started the universe then of course there was something and not nothing. In fact, and again this may be unscientific, nothing cannot even be a try thing, it destroys it ever taking place in any point of time/space/other dimension, by its very definition.

So do you think that the idea of nothing is maybe brought up too much and is a logical falsehood that should be moved away from by both scientists and theists?
 
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  • #2
A total vacuum free of any kind of matter is one kind of 'nothing' which can in theory exist.
However that emptiness still would have fields present; gravity, electromagnetism, quantum fields.
 
  • #3
rootone said:
A total vacuum free of any kind of matter is one kind of 'nothing' which can in theory exist.
However that emptiness still would have fields present; gravity, electromagnetism, quantum fields.

I totally accept that as a very good starting point as to working out how the universe came to be. It isn't nothing by definition though, I still don't think that by definition, nothing is a possible scenario
 
  • #4
Thread closed temporarily for Moderation...
 
  • #5
Sorry, thread is too philosophical, so will remain closed.
 

FAQ: Creating Universe from "Nothing": Astrophysicists Debate

What is the "nothing" that the universe was created from?

The concept of "nothing" is still a topic of debate among astrophysicists. Some believe it refers to a state of absolute emptiness, while others argue that it may refer to a state of potential energy or quantum fluctuations.

How did the universe come into existence from nothing?

This is a fundamental question that has puzzled scientists for centuries. Some theories propose that the universe emerged from a singularity, while others suggest that it may have been created through a process known as inflation.

Is the concept of creating something from nothing scientifically possible?

There is currently no scientific evidence to support the idea of creating something from absolute nothingness. However, the laws of quantum mechanics suggest that the universe may have emerged from a state of quantum fluctuations, which some consider to be a form of "nothing".

What role does the Big Bang theory play in the debate?

The Big Bang theory is the most widely accepted explanation for the origin of the universe. It suggests that the universe began as a singularity and expanded rapidly, eventually giving rise to the vast expanse we see today. However, some scientists believe that this theory does not fully explain the creation of the universe from "nothing".

Can we ever truly understand the concept of creating the universe from nothing?

It is impossible to say for sure if we will ever fully understand the concept of creating the universe from "nothing". As our understanding of the laws of physics and the nature of the universe continues to evolve, so too may our understanding of this fundamental question.

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