What Came Before the Big Bang?

Summary

This video explores the mysteries surrounding the origin of our universe, focusing on the Big Bang theory and its implications. It delves into various hypotheses, such as the singularity before time existed, the possibility of a 'Big Bounce' from a previous universe, and the concept of a multiverse influenced by string theory. The script highlights the limitations of current scientific understanding and the anticipation for the James Webb Space Telescope to potentially reveal more about the universe's beginnings, emphasizing the ongoing quest for answers in this profound scientific enigma.

Takeaways

• 🔴 The Big Bang is currently the most accepted scientific theory for the beginning of the universe, occurring about 13.8 billion years ago.
• 🔭 Space telescopes have enabled us to observe the faintest lights of the universe, formed 300,000 years after the Big Bang, to better understand the universe's early stages.
• 🧪 The Large Hadron Collider (CERN) is used to simulate Big Bang conditions on a smaller scale to understand the universe's origins.
• 🤔 The concept of 'before the Big Bang' is challenging because it suggests a time when time and the laws of physics as we know them did not exist.
• 🌀 Some scientists speculate that the universe may have gone through a 'Big Bounce,' where a previous universe collapsed into a singularity and then expanded into our current universe.
• ♾ The idea of an infinite series of Big Bounces is proposed, suggesting a cyclical universe with no clear starting point.
• 🤷‍♂️ Einstein's analogy highlights the difficulty of understanding what could have existed before the Big Bang, much like there is no 'more north' than the North Pole.
• 🌌 The multiverse hypothesis suggests our universe is one of many, each existing in a higher dimension, influenced by the gravity of neighboring universes.
• 🔍 The search for evidence of other universes includes looking for distinctive markings in the Cosmic Microwave Background, though none have been detected yet.
• 🌠 The upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope is expected to provide unprecedented views of the early universe and potentially unlock secrets about the beginning of space and time.
• 💭 The script concludes by acknowledging the mystery and ongoing search for answers regarding the universe's origin, inviting viewers to share their thoughts on the matter.

Q & A

What is the most prevalent scientific theory about the beginning of our universe?

The most prevalent scientific theory about the beginning of our universe is the Big Bang, which suggests that everything came into existence at a single moment approximately 13.8 billion years ago.

What does the script suggest about the possibility of observing the universe further back in time?

Our current technology allows us to observe the faintest lights of the universe that formed just 300,000 years after the Big Bang, but we cannot go further back than that with our existing capabilities.

How is the Large Hadron Collider (CERN) used to study the conditions of the Big Bang?

Scientists use the Large Hadron Collider (CERN) to approximate the conditions of the Big Bang on a much smaller scale, helping to understand what might have happened during the early moments of the universe.

What is the concept of a singularity as mentioned in the script?

A singularity, as mentioned in the script, refers to a massively dense, infinitely tiny point that existed before the Big Bang, where time and the laws of physics as we know them did not exist.

What is the 'Big Bounce' theory and how does it relate to the Big Bang?

The 'Big Bounce' theory suggests that our universe may have originated from the collapse of a previous universe into a singularity, which then exploded to form our current universe. This implies a cyclic process of universes being born and dying.

What does Albert Einstein's quote about the Big Bang imply?

Albert Einstein's quote implies that trying to understand what came before the Big Bang is an impossible task, akin to finding a direction more north than the North Pole, suggesting it may be beyond human comprehension.

What is the hypothesis of our universe being one of an infinite number of universes?

The hypothesis suggests that our universe may be just one of an infinite number of universes, each existing in a higher dimension and potentially interacting with one another through gravity.

How might the cosmic microwave background provide evidence for the existence of other universes?

If other universes exist and interact, such as colliding with each other, it should leave a distinctive marking in the cosmic microwave background, which scientists could potentially detect.

What is the significance of the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope?

The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to provide unprecedented views of the early universe and the formation of the oldest galaxies, which may help unlock secrets about the beginning of space and time.

What is the current consensus on string theory in the scientific community?

While string theory has traction within the scientific community, there is still no overall consensus on its acceptance, as it remains a subject of ongoing research and debate.

What does the script suggest about the current state of knowledge regarding what came before the Big Bang?

The script suggests that the current state of knowledge regarding what came before the Big Bang is that we simply do not know, and it remains one of the biggest and most intriguing riddles in science.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 The Big Bang Theory and Its Mysteries

This paragraph delves into the prevalent scientific theory of the universe's beginning, the Big Bang, which is estimated to have occurred 13.8 billion years ago. It discusses the technological advancements that have allowed us to observe the universe's faintest lights, formed shortly after the Big Bang, and the use of the Large Hadron Collider to recreate Big Bang conditions on a smaller scale. The human tendency to seek cause and effect is highlighted, leading to questions about the state of existence before the Big Bang. The paragraph introduces various hypotheses, including the possibility of a singularity where time and physics as we know them did not exist, the idea of a 'Big Bounce' from a previous universe, and the enigmatic concept of an ever-occurring cycle of universes. It also touches on the philosophical implications of these theories and the limitations of human understanding in grasping the infinite.

Keywords

💡Big Bang

The Big Bang is the prevailing cosmological model for the observable universe's origin from an extremely dense and hot state. It is the central theme of the video, explaining the universe's beginning about 13.8 billion years ago. The script discusses how scientists use telescopes and the Large Hadron Collider to study and replicate conditions from the Big Bang to understand the universe's inception.

💡Universe Expansion

Universe Expansion refers to the idea that the universe is getting larger over time. It is key to understanding the Big Bang theory and is mentioned in the script as evidence supporting the event's occurrence. The script also mentions that our technology allows us to observe the universe's faintest lights, which are remnants from shortly after the Big Bang.

💡Singularity

In the context of cosmology, a Singularity is a point in space-time where the laws of physics, as we know them, break down due to an infinite density and temperature. The script speculates that before the Big Bang, there might have been a singularity from which time and the laws of physics did not exist.

💡Big Bounce

The Big Bounce is an alternative hypothesis to the Big Bang, suggesting that the universe underwent a previous contraction phase before expanding. The script mentions this as a possibility where another universe existed before ours, collapsed into a black hole, and then 'bounced' into the current universe.

💡Black Hole

A Black Hole is a region of space-time with a gravitational pull so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it. The script uses the concept of a black hole to describe a potential end state of a previous universe, which then collapses into a singularity and gives rise to our universe.

💡Causality

Causality is the relationship between cause and effect, where every event is a result of some previous event. The script discusses the human tendency to assume causality, questioning what could have caused the Big Bang if time itself did not exist before it.

💡Multiverse

The Multiverse is a hypothetical set of multiple universes, including the one we inhabit. The script mentions the possibility that our universe is one of an infinite number of universes, each existing in a higher dimension, and that the expansion of our universe could be influenced by the gravity of neighboring universes.

💡Cosmic Microwave Background

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is a key piece of evidence for the Big Bang model, representing the afterglow radiation from the early universe. The script suggests that if universes collide, it should leave a distinctive marking in the CMB, which we have yet to detect.

💡String Theory

String Theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. It is relevant to the video as it supports the idea of a multiverse and is mentioned as a theory that, if correct, could help explain the existence of multiple universes.

💡James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is an upcoming space observatory that will provide unprecedented observations of the early universe. The script mentions the JWST as a tool that may help us unlock the secrets of the universe's beginning and potentially answer questions about what came before the Big Bang.

💡Squarespace

Squarespace is a website building and hosting service mentioned in the script as a sponsor of the video. It is used as an example to encourage viewers to create their own websites to track and share their predictions about the universe's origins.

Highlights

The most prevalent scientific theory for the beginning of the universe is the Big Bang, which occurred approximately 13.8 billion years ago.

Space telescopes have enabled us to observe the faintest lights of the universe, formed just 300,000 years after the Big Bang.

The Large Hadron Collider (CERN) is used to approximate the conditions of the Big Bang on a smaller scale.

The concept of cause and effect in human nature leads to questions about what existed before the Big Bang.

Some scientists speculate that before the Big Bang was a singularity where time and the laws of physics did not exist.

The possibility of a 'Big Bounce' theory suggests a previous universe that collapsed into a black hole, leading to our current universe.

The idea of an infinite cycle of Big Bounces is proposed, with no clear cause for the first universe.

Albert Einstein's analogy compares understanding what came before the Big Bang to finding what's more north than the North Pole.

The hypothesis of our universe being one of an infinite number in a higher dimension relies on String Theory.

The potential detection of neighboring universes' gravity effects on our universe's expansion is discussed.

The James Webb Space Telescope is anticipated to provide unprecedented observations of the early universe and oldest galaxies.

The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope may unlock secrets of the beginning of space and time or generate more questions.

The search for the answer to what came before the Big Bang is one of the biggest and most intriguing riddles in science.

The potential implications of solving the question of the universe's origin on our understanding of space and time.

Invitation for viewers to share their thoughts on the origin of the universe through comments.

Promotion of SquareSpace for creating professional websites to track and share predictions about the universe's origin.

Encouragement for viewers to subscribe and enable notifications for new SecondThought videos.

Mention of Patreon support for an in-depth look at SecondThought and additional content.

Transcripts

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There Are Plenty Of Theories On How Our Universe Began

But Currently The Most Prevalent Scientific Theory

Is That Everything Came Into Existence At The Single Moment Known As The Big Bang

But If Everything Was Created At This One Moment

What Came Before The Big Bang?.

As Our Understanding Has Developed We've Come To Realize

That Our Universe Is Expanding And With Our Current Technology

We Can Say With A Relative Certainty That The Big Bang

Occurred About 13.8 Billion Years Ago

Over The Years Our Space Telescopes

Have Allowed Us To Look Further And Further Back In Time

Observing The Faintest Lights Of The Universe That Formed Just

300, 000 Years After The Big Bang To Gain An

Even Better Understanding Of The Beginning Of The Universe

Scientist Use The Large Hadron Collider (CERN)

To Approximate The Conditions Of The Big Bang

On A Much Smaller Scale Of Course But That's Is Far Back

As We Can Go And That's Just Not Good Enough Is It?.

We Humans Are Wired Within A Nit

Tendency To Assume Cause And Effect Everything That Happens

Can Be Assume To Have A Cause Or it Wouldn't Have Happen

Right?. So If We Rewind Time

Back Through The Expansion Of The Universe Before Galaxies Formed

To The Moment Before The Explosion That Causes Everything

What Do We Find?. Well Maybe NOTHING!.

Some Scientists Speculate That Before The Big Bang

Was A Massively Dense Infinitely Tiny Singularity

A Point Of Which Time And The Laws Of Physics Did Not Exist

If Time Didn't Exist

Then There Is No Before Others Suspect That The Big Bang

May Actually Have Been A BIG BOUNCE

Another

Universe May Have Existed Before Ours That After Many

Billions Of Years Stopped Expanding And Collapsed

In On Itself And Formed The Single Unbelievably Massive Black hole

Eventually Collapsing Into the Singularity

That exploded Into Our Current Universe

Proponents Of The Idea Suspected That The Big Bounce

Could Have Been Occurring Forever And Will Continue To Have Been Forever

Okay... But What Caused The First Universe In This Series

No One Knows For Sure Perhaps The First Universe

Was Always There And Our Human Understanding

Is Not Equipped To Accept That Fact Albert Einstein Once

Said That Trying To Understand What Came Before The Big Bang

Is Like Trying To Figure Out Whats More North Than The North Pole

Another Hypothesis Is That

Our Universe Is Just One Of An

Infinite Number Of Universes

Each Floating Around In Some Higher Dimension Some Scientist Suspect That

The Expansion Of Our Universe And Potentially Any Universe

Is The Effect Of A Neighboring Universe's Gravity

An When Two Or More Of This Universes Collide With Each Other

It Should Leave A Distinctive Marking In The Cosmic Microwave Background

Which We Should Be Able To Detect

The Only Problem Is We Haven't Ever Detected

Anything Of The Sort

Others Propose That A Collision Between Universes Will Spark A Cataclysmic Event

A Big Bang And Create An Entirely New Universe

The Existence Of A Multiverse Like This Relies Upon String Theory Being Correct

And While String Theory Does Have Traction

In The Scientific Community The Jury Is Still Out On Its Over All Acceptance

So Really The Only Honest Answer

Anyone Could Currently Give To This Question Of

What Came Before The Big Bang Is... We Don't Know

Okay... We Might Not Know Right Now

But What Are We Doing To Find The Real Answer

As With Anything In Science Experts Are Constantly Trying New Things

And Coming Out With Potential Solutions To Difficult Problems

In The Near Future We'll See Launch Of The Long Awaited

James Webb Space Telescope

Which Will Give Us An Unprecedented Ability to See Way Back To The Very Early Universe

And Observe The Formation Of The Very Oldest Galaxies

Perhaps Webb Will Allow Us to Unlock

The Secrets Of The Beginning Of Space And Time

Or Maybe It'll Just Give Us More Questions To Answer

Regardless Of The Outcome This Is One Of The Biggest And Most Intriguing Riddle

Science Has Yet To Solve And When We Do Solved It

Our Understanding Of The Universe

And The Very Nature Of Space And Time Will Likely Never Be The Same

What Do You Think?. Has Our Universe Been Around Forever?.

Did We Come From A Black Hole?.

Or Are We Living In Just One Of Countless Universes

Let Us Know Your Thoughts In The Comments Below

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