But doesn’t seem to have a ticket. So a mechanism that caused the Universe to come into existence with these properties already in place? But then what caused that mechanism? If a mechanism caused that mechanism, what in turn caused the previous mechanism? Siegel obviously wants to get past the idea of an actual beginning but orthodox science does not seem to allow that. Some religious propositions might suffice, of course, but he does not want to go there. Advice from readers?
Big Bang
One explanation for the matter-antimatter discrepancy in the universe is ruled out
We are told that thousands of anti-hydrogen atoms have now been captured and stored, though it isn’t easy.
Ethan Siegel warns us against five myths about the Big Bang
Siegel doesn’t really explain why we can be sure that space, time, and the laws of physics preexisted the Big Bang; the idea that they pre-existed has the effect of untethering them from the tiresome demand for evidence. But might that be part of the charm of the idea?
Do mysterious particles flying out of Antarctica threaten the Standard Model of physics?
At Space.com: But ultra high-energy neutrinos shouldn’t be able to pass through the Earth. That suggests that some other kind of particle — one that’s never been seen before…
Another sally against the Big Bang
Look at it like this: If the multiverse prevails instead, science can be opened up to a vast variety of viewpoints and interests. Because facts really won’t matter any more.
Sabine Hossenfelder: Physicists’ theories of how the universe began “aren’t any better than traditional tales of creation”
Sabine Hossenfelder: Physicists may simply have produced a lot of mathematical stories about how it all began, but these aren’t any better than traditional tales of creation.
Rob Sheldon on a claim that the Big Bang did not happen
We need to go back to Philip Johnson’s insight 30 years ago. At that time the creationists were all attacking each other over local/global flood, the meaning of “yom”, the historicity of Adam, etc, whereas the Darwinists had a united front–Darwin was a genius. What Johnson discovered, was that the Darwinists had a huge internal battle over nearly every assumption of their model, but politically were unified in their opposition to Creation. By putting his finger on their critical assumption of Methodological Naturalism, which was contrary to nature and to nature’s laws, Johnson was able to unite the creationists behind this cause and turn the tables.
New Scientist: Dark matter’s no-show casts doubt on Big Bang; Rob Sheldon replies
Sheldon: The recent publication of the Italians+Silk paper has now voiced the unspeakable: there is something wrong with the Lambda-CDM Big Bang model, and by inference, the 2011 Nobel Prize. Neither “dark matter” nor “dark energy” seem to exist in a form that makes the model work.
Looking for a mechanism behind the Big Bang…
Interesting. But where did your Big Bang get the flame, guys? No fuel, no flame; no flame, no mechanism. Or have you discovered creation ex nihilo?
Peering into the origin of time
Via a curious universal pattern of correlated pairs of objects.
Has the universe really stopped making sense?
Or is it just not giving some people the answers they want?
A Darwin snark for a new Nobelist
If one is just looking for something to be snarky about, it is best not to engage with any serious issues. In that case, puffing popular Darwinism at every opportunity is the best choice available. There’s sure no Nobel for that.
Sabine Hossenfelder on the future of particle physics
Hossenfelder: The standard model works just fine with that number and it fits the data. But a small number like this, without explanation, is ugly and particle physicists didn’t want to believe nature could be that ugly.
Penrose and Craig explain the universe for us at Unbelievable
Penrose surely offers a more thoughtful debate than Dawkins (who refused to debate Craig) and Krauss (who did but complained afterward) anyway. Too bad we had to wait till 2019 to see it.
Dark matter is older than the Big Bang?
The media release refers to “time before the Big Bang.” The idea that time did not begin, for our purposes, with the Big Bang would be contested by some. That raises arrow-of-time issues.