What if the Universe Had No Beginning?

Interesting look at casual set theory and how it fits into quantum physics. 

This theory competes against string theory and loop quantum gravity. In my opinion string theory is a waste of time. It should be noted that it's not just casual set theory which imagines a universe without a beginning - loop quantum gravity does the same. In fact even Georges Lemaitre, who came up with the concept of the Big Bang, thought the Big Bang may not have been the beginning. Lemaitre, who was a Catholic priest, even persuaded the Pope not to say that the Big Bang was confirmation of the Biblical creation story because there was a chance it may not have been the beginning of things.

"A huge part of the casual set philosophy is that the passage of time is something physical." This - right there is why I lean towards casual set theory as being correct according to my intuition.  

(HT Newmark's Door)

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- The Disney+ app looks pretty cool.

- Interesting new design for space telescopes

- Heh Heh

- Is Dark Matter older than the Big Bang?

- Heh Heh

- Interesting Ted Talk on growing new brain cells.

- Bitter Wheat looks like an entertaining play. Too bad Hollywood would never make a movie out of it.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains the Big Bang to Adam Carolla

Neil: Once there was a single point in the universe that was unimaginatively small and dense. So dense that all the matter in the universe was contained in that single tiny point.

Adam: Whoa, whoa whoa!  How could it be unimaginatively small if you egg-heads imagined it? Sorry but you can't sneak those things by me because of my hyper-vigilance.

Neil: OK! OK! Now suddenly this incredibly small point explodes. Trillions and trillions of atoms burst forth. Atoms of matter and anti-matter. The atoms of matter and anti-matter annihilate each other. For each 400,000 billion atoms of matter and anti-matter just a single atom survives the annihilation. And those surviving atoms are what end up making up the universe - you, me, the planets, the stars, everything.

Adam: So what you're saying is the Big Bang was like if God farted...

Neil: Dude - what?

Adam: Yeah imagine God's unimaginatively small clenched sphincter. Then suddenly boom! The universe's biggest fart. The air outside annihilates the air from the fart and all that is left over is a tiny bit of fecal matter. You, me, the planets, the stars, everything - we're God's leftover fecal matter.

Neil: Well I guess that's one way to look at it but Adam you know I'm an atheist right?

Adam: Me too - but if you can imagine that other shit why not this?

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The universe has been cooling since the Big Bang. So wouldn't Global Warming be viewed as a sort of anti-aging? Who's against anti-aging?... Heh Heh... Has an American President ever attended an NHL game? Off the top of my head I can't recall it ever happening... Adele should do a cover of the Bee Gees' To Love Somebody - that would be awesome!... Has the show Murphy Brown been cancelled yet? Is anyone watching that show?... 7 of the most bizarre ways to die... Unpopular opinion: John Ford's The Quiet Man was a better movie than Orson Welles' Citizen Kane....

Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains the Big Bang to Adam Carolla

Neil: Once there was a single point in the universe that was unimaginatively small and dense. So dense that all the matter in the universe was contained in that single tiny point.

Adam: Whoa, whoa whoa!  How could it be unimaginatively small if you egg-heads imagined it? Sorry but you can't sneak those things by me because of my hyper-vigilance.

Neil: OK! OK! Now suddenly this incredibly small point explodes. Trillions and trillions of atoms burst forth. Atoms of matter and anti-matter. The atoms of matter and anti-matter annihilate each other. For each 400,000 billion atoms of matter and anti-matter just a single atom survives the annihilation. And those surviving atoms are what end up making up the universe - you, me, the planets, the stars, everything.

Adam: So what you're saying is the Big Bang was like if God farted...

Neil: Dude - what?

Adam: Yeah imagine God's unimaginatively small clenched sphincter. Then suddenly boom! The universe's biggest fart. The air outside annihilates the air from the fart and all that is left over is a tiny bit of fecal matter. You, me, the planets, the stars, everything - we're God's leftover fecal matter.

Neil: Well I guess that's one way to look at it but Adam you know I'm an atheist right?

Adam: Me too - but if you can imagine that other shit why not this?

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- But I thought the science was settled? Scientists argue Big Bang vs Big Bounce

- 10 lessons from Tim Ferris

- Charlie Munger: The Psychology of Human Misjudgement

- Interesting kettlebell workout routine

- Another workout routine from Outside Magazine

- While we are talking workouts - the secrets of Tom Brady's personal trainer