Physics

[LiamOS]

A lesser purpose of this thread is to allow members to ask questions about physics which they need clarification on or want an explanation on.

In my time spent here, I've been told many a time how conventional science fails and falls short in areas. As such, I decided to make this thread. However, as there are many on the subject of Biology and its many branches, I felt one to address the issues in physics would be appropriate.
For the purposes of this thread, physics covers Nuclear Physics, Particle Physics, Astronomy, Cosmology, Relativity, Quantum Mechanics(QCD, QED...), Electromagnetism, Optics and Thermodynamics.
The conventional theories in each field will be taken, in the context of this thread, as the best explanation currently available:
The Big Bang, the Standard Model(Particle physics), etc.

Questions for debate:
-Other than that which we do not yet know(Higgs Boson, etc.), are there any significant shortcomings in the conventional physics of the day? If so, where and why?
-Some theories are based on underlying assumptions. Are any of these assumptions flawed or not necessarily true?

With our current knowledge of the universe from a physicists point of view, is it logical to infer than a deity is a necessity? Why or why not?

On a final note, this is a physics thread, so don't hold back on using mathematics as support for your hypotheses.

[Goat]

As far as I know, myth-one, space is currently expanding faster than light. There's nothing weird 'bout that.

Oh, really? I asked this question when I was eight years old and have never found an answer. What is space expanding into?

It's not expanding into anything.

That is a question that is assuming somehting that isn't so

[JohnPaul]

As far as I know, myth-one, space is currently expanding faster than light. There's nothing weird 'bout that.

Oh, really? I asked this question when I was eight years old and have never found an answer. What is space expanding into?

It's not expanding into anything.

That is a question that is assuming somehting that isn't so

That requires a little more explanation. How is the expansion of the universe different than the expansion of anything else? Please don't tell me it is expanding into "nothing" around it.

[antonenus]

As far as I know, myth-one, space is currently expanding faster than light. There's nothing weird 'bout that.

Oh, really? I asked this question when I was eight years old and have never found an answer. What is space expanding into?

It's not expanding into anything.

That is a question that is assuming somehting that isn't so

That requires a little more explanation. How is the expansion of the universe different than the expansion of anything else? Please don't tell me it is expanding into "nothing" around it.

Outside of the universe there isn't time or space, so there isn't really an 'outside' to the universe. There's nothing. The expansion of a balloon within our universe takes up time and space within the universe, the expansion of the universe creates time and space.

[JohnPaul]

As far as I know, myth-one, space is currently expanding faster than light. There's nothing weird 'bout that.

Oh, really? I asked this question when I was eight years old and have never found an answer. What is space expanding into?

It's not expanding into anything.

That is a question that is assuming somehting that isn't so

That requires a little more explanation. How is the expansion of the universe different than the expansion of anything else? Please don't tell me it is expanding into "nothing" around it.

Outside of the universe there isn't time or space, so there isn't really an 'outside' to the universe. There's nothing. The expansion of a balloon within our universe takes up time and space within the universe, the expansion of the universe creates time and space.

I majored in physics in school many years ago, but never finished, so perhaps I missed the sections on the physical laws of "nothing." I have tried to keep up with developments in the field of cosmology at a popular level since then, but I am not a believer in the doctrine of nothing. I much prefer "I don't know" or "the math fails at that point."

Einstein's model of the universe as the three-dimensional "surface" of a four-dimensional hypersphere was popular when I was in school. I admit I never mastered the math of General Relativity, but I am sure it does not describe "nothing." Einstein's model allowed the visualization of the human perception of time as an illusion, as the expanding "survace" passed along the world-lines radiating out from the center, the Big Bang origin. This model was relatively easy to comprehend. Then inflation theory came along and distorted things, but I now understand that at least one of the founders of inflation theory has changed his mind and withdrawn his support. Anyway, my question still stands.

Incidentally, string theory postulates an infinity of such universes, all existing simultaneously. I also liked Everett's 1957 "Many Worlds" interpretation of Quantum Physics, but that is another subject.

[arian]

As far as I know, myth-one, space is currently expanding faster than light. There's nothing weird 'bout that.

Oh, really? I asked this question when I was eight years old and have never found an answer. What is space expanding into?

It's not expanding into anything.

That is a question that is assuming somehting that isn't so

That requires a little more explanation. How is the expansion of the universe different than the expansion of anything else? Please don't tell me it is expanding into "nothing" around it.

Outside of the universe there isn't time or space, so there isn't really an 'outside' to the universe. There's nothing. The expansion of a balloon within our universe takes up time and space within the universe, the expansion of the universe creates time and space.

Good point JohnPaul, what is the universe expanding into?

Here are some of the definitions of 'time';

Time
1 the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole

an event, occasion, or period experienced in a particular way

4 an instance of something happening or being done

And here is what the universe was doing before time and space was created by the Big Bang;

Universe - Wikipedia
...continued to decrease in density and fall in temperature, hence the typical energy of each particle was decreasing. Symmetry breaking phase transitions put the fundamental forces of physics and the parameters of elementary particles into their present form.[28] After about 1011 seconds, the picture becomes less speculative, since particle energies drop to values that can be attained in particle physics experiments. At about 106 seconds, quarks and gluons combined to form baryons such as protons and neutrons. The small excess of quarks over antiquarks led to a small excess of baryons over antibaryons. The temperature was now no longer high enough to create new proton"antiproton pairs (similarly for neutrons"antineutrons), so a mass annihilation immediately followed, leaving just one in 1010 of the original protons and neutrons, and none of their antiparticles. A similar process happened at about 1 second for electrons and positrons. After these annihilations, the remaining protons, neutrons and electrons were no longer moving relativistically and the energy density of the Universe was dominated by photons (with a minor contribution from neutrinos).

... I would say that's a lot of things 'happening and being done' before time existed, and a lot of expansion before space existed, won't you agree? LOL

I'm with JohnPaul on this one, what is that 'point in space' that the universe was in at the moment of the Big Bang? No 'bubble within a bubble' hypothesis please, we'll just ask; "so what are all those bubbles expanding in?"

You have to have 'space' for something like our universe to expand in, and if its doing ANYTHING, that is called 'time'. So according to the BB theorists, the universe was IN time and space creating another time and space within itself. I guess this is why they didn't find any problems in building billions of dollars worth of H Colliders/particle accelerators in hopes of creating another BB creating more space within space within space?

Question; is the 'space' that our universe is expanding in expanding also? Because if it's receding, we're in big trouble won't you say?





When man became delusional and believed he was God, he left logic, reasoning and even the laws of physics behind, I guess the delusion continues as man relentlessly builds upon these delusions!? - author yet unknown

[Peter]

I'll just throw this out there and we can kick it around. The universe is expanding into the supernatural. You know, that place where gods are suppose to live outside this natural universe.

As has been pointed out there is really no reason to think of the universe expanding into anything but since the supernatural is as close as anything to nothing I guess it's a good placeholder.

Anyway, does this work for anyone but me?

[JohnPaul]

I'll just throw this out there and we can kick it around. The universe is expanding into the supernatural. You know, that place where gods are suppose to live outside this natural universe.

As has been pointed out there is really no reason to think of the universe expanding into anything but since the supernatural is as close as anything to nothing I guess it's a good placeholder.

Anyway, does this work for anyone but me?

God is not an explanation for anything, it is only giving an arbitrary name to something unknown. It would only work as an explanation when you are prepared to first give a technical explanation of God.

Anyway, as I have revealed here before, my pet cat Snippy created the universe. He told me so. I will ask him to explain more to me.

[Peter]

I'll just throw this out there and we can kick it around. The universe is expanding into the supernatural. You know, that place where gods are suppose to live outside this natural universe.

As has been pointed out there is really no reason to think of the universe expanding into anything but since the supernatural is as close as anything to nothing I guess it's a good placeholder.

Anyway, does this work for anyone but me?

God is not an explanation for anything, it is only giving an arbitrary name to something unknown. It would only work as an explanation when you are prepared to first give a technical explanation of God.

Anyway, as I have revealed here before, my pet cat Snippy created the universe. He told me so. I will ask him to explain more to me.

Hi there, I guess my post was too vaguely tongue in cheek.