Brian … (thanks for the pointers on the 'moot' thing .. I hate words coming from a legal system origin, in science discussions.
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Ok ..
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Brian_W
Was there -time- in whatever existed to cause the Big bang?
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Theory tells us what must have happened during very small time intervals immediately following the BB. So time after the BB isn't a problem for theoretical Physics.
The BB origin was a singularity as 'predicted' by running the clock backwards in our present day theoretical, mathematically described laws of physics. We have no mathematical framework to describe what happens before a singularity. So there is only conjecture about what may/may not have been, prior to the singularity.
(Aside: interestingly, we also have no framework to describe the conditions of anything smaller than Planck size).
On this basis, scientists make the statement that 'time began at the BB and probably didn't exist prior to it'. Interestingly, I have heard Hawking say that gravity existed, prior to the BB .. which I think, confuses the issue a lot. I'll put his words aside for now .. he probably had some reason for making this statement but I don't know what it was.
Hope this helps.
Others: corrections welcome, if I've misinterpreted something incorrectly.
Cheers