• Question: can there be a period in time and space whear their is nothing what so ever

    Asked by sevty5 to Louise, Michaela, Sian, Steve, Yvette on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Louise Johnson

      Louise Johnson answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      That’s what physicists say when you ask them what happened before the big bang – that time began at that point, so there simply was no “before” to be in. It sort of makes sense, although it hurts my head to think about it.

      Since the Big Bang though,as I understand it there has never been any *total* nothingness because particles and antiparticles are always appearing for very tiny periods of time and then cancelling each other out again. I’m not a physicist though, so I might not have understood this 100% correctly!

    • Photo: Steven Kiddle

      Steven Kiddle answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      Not as far as we know. Places where there is nothing is called a vacuum, and quantum mechanics has taught us that they actually contain virtual particles that jump in and out of existence.

    • Photo: Michaela Livingstone

      Michaela Livingstone answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      I’d say no. Even in so-called empty space physicists say that particles can pop in to existance from no where, they call it the quantum foam. I don’t really understand how that can really happen, but the maths says so… but I don’t understand it really. It makes my brain hurt!

      Before the big bang everything ever in the universe existed in one very dense point in space, so even then there was something – maybe one day the universe will cease to exist, but then where will all the mass and energy in our universe go? Physics also says that it just can’t disappear!

    • Photo: Yvette Wilson

      Yvette Wilson answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      according to physicists – yes – but my brain cops out on such thoughts

Comments