We supposedly live in a universe that exploded out of nothing. As an earth scientist, I have had real problems with that. Thirty years ago I actually believed in the Big Bang Theory too. Not anymore. You see, as an independent consultant I have had too much time on my hands. So much time that I was able to check those claims out from the perspective of an onlooker not exactly afraid to get his hands dirty. I love math, but I love rocks and soils more, stuff that is real rather than ideal.
My look into the Big Bang Theory (BBT) began with an examination of its underlying assumptions a la Collingwood and Kuhn. It turns out that the most important assumption currently held by establishment cosmologists and physicists is finity. Its opposite is INFINITY (The universe is infinite, both in the microcosmic and macrocosmic directions). Of course, it is impossible to prove without a doubt which of these assumptions is correct. One can only assume them. Choosing between them is a big scientific and philosophical deal: with finity the universe explodes out of nothing (or a “singularity, which amounts to the same thing) and with INFINITY the universe is eternal and everywhere.
But as a species, we have pretty much grown up with finity. Our finite world starts out with a blanket over our heads. The earth becomes flat. Then it becomes a planet with its sun revolving around it. Then it becomes just another small planet revolving around a minor star. Then it becomes a hundred billion galaxies each with a hundred billion stars supposedly expanding into 4-dimensional “spacetime.” Even with these obviously hugh numbers we have managed to keep things within reach—mathematically, if not realistically.
But now for the revolution…
It is my belief that the revolution started by Copernicus is not yet complete. It won’t be until we adopt the only logical alternative: Infinite Universe Theory (IUT). Why will this occur and when will it be? In spite of its impeccable logic and the numerous scientific and philosophical problems that it solves, the IUT will not be accepted any time soon. Hardly a day goes by that the New York Times, Science, Nature, or some such establishment media outlet doesn’t report yet another “proof” of the efficacy of the BBT. All is seen through the eyes of finity and the BBT even though hundreds of scientists have gathered much data that discredits it. As the reigning paradigm, the BBT holds immense power and popular support. Budding cosmologists and physicists who have doubts about the reality of four dimensions, curved space, or the explosion of the universe out of nothing are weeded out. In cosmology and physics government grants are seldom, if ever, awarded to scientists who do not believe in the BBT. That is the nature of a scientific paradigm. It cannot be changed from within, because those who would question it are without. There are thousands of them. They are colleagues, mostly gray of hair, who are retired physicists now free to speak out. They are engineers accustomed to working with the real, 3-D world, not the imagined, 4-D world of the “modern physicist.” They are natural scientists untouched by the financial restrictions of the paradigm. They are folks just like you, who are curious about their surroundings.
Because of its philosophical flaws, the BBT is certain to be replaced by the IUT. What is not certain is the timing of this revolution. The assumptions underlying the IUT are the opposite of those underlying religion, which is the philosophy of probably 80% of the world’s population. Nevertheless, religious authority is under heavy attack as globalization speeds up. The current religious-economic wars are symptomatic of the inevitable destruction of long-held conservative worldviews. Having developed in semi-isolation, these philosophies cannot survive a world dominated by the logic of the internet and a wide-open mixing of cultures spawned by those wars. Philosophically, we cannot escape INFINITY. Even if you believed in a god that created the universe from nothing, you must wonder who created that god and what took it so long? Even Hawking has asked the next question: what existed before the BBT? There is no realistic answer, just more of the same: crunches, “multiverses,” “parallel universes,” etc. The mathematical dreams of 4 and 13 dimensions will not contain a universe that has existed everywhere and for all time.
A true revolution involves turning things upside down. As I said, the switch from finity to INFINITY is a really big deal. It won’t happen soon. Major philosophical changes cannot occur without major economic changes. The rate of global population increase began to slow in 1989. By 2050, population growth and economic growth will slow to a trickle. The current depression is sure to put tremendous stresses on conservative social and economic systems. Our adaption to the many changes required will include questioning of all those in authority, the BBT included.