Questions tagged [cosmology]
19
questions
37
votes
13
answers
3k
views
What should a rational person accept as a miracle?
I was reading through this collection of short essays from theologians, scientists and thinkers each responding to the question "Does the Universe have a purpose?" which was suggested to me in a ...
- 1,769
20
votes
10
answers
4k
views
Is the universe isomorphic to a universal turing machine?
I often think about problems that require an understanding of the very essence of computation and its inherent limitations. So, my questions are as followed:
Is the universe isomorphic to a universal ...
- 317
10
votes
5
answers
978
views
What is nothing?
In Lawrence Krauss' book A Universe From Nothing he portrays "nothing" as a physical state. He says that nothing is found by removing all of what we know to be things (particles, electrons etc). I've ...
- 101
3
votes
5
answers
516
views
An argument against brute physical facts
I would like to know what anybody thinks of the following argument against brute physical facts, such as the idea that the material universe as a whole is a brute fact.
A physical fact is taken to ...
- 377
2
votes
3
answers
243
views
Can the Universe make sense at all?
Considering that nearly everything that exists cannot be even imagined by humans (or would it be reasonable to assume the contrary?), what is the chance of finding a scientifically coherent ...
- 171
1
vote
3
answers
533
views
How does biological evolution work in the block universe/b-theory of time?
The b-theory of time is often described as a film reel where the whole reel exists, but we can only view one frame at a time.
The problem I have with this analogy is that it starts to feel too ...
- 11
0
votes
3
answers
738
views
A terrifying variant of Boltzmann's brain
I am new to this forum even though I have read a lot on the subject of boltzmann's brains and have come to a terrifying conclusion, the classic argument which for example Sean Carroll used, "The ...
- 89
33
votes
18
answers
9k
views
What is the purpose of the universe? [closed]
There are two extremes known as creationism vs evolutionism. Let's consider creationism for a moment, and imagine that God exists, and he/she has created us. The question that obsesses my mind after ...
- 1,769
1
vote
4
answers
707
views
Would it be logically possible that the Universe has a beginning in time but an infinite amount of time has elapsed since this beginning?
Imagine that the Universe had a temporal beginning but no temporal end. At the beginning the Universe has a finite size, and as time passes its size increases exponentially. And the number of ...
- 111
9
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Has religion adapted to modern cosmology and if so how?
I wonder how existing major religions follow modern cosmology. Is God a god of the planet Earth, or of the whole solar system, or of the entire universe? If he is the god of the whole universe, is he ...
- 1,314
8
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How do proponents of the Cosmological argument respond to the nature of time?
How do proponents of the Cosmological argument respond to the nature of time?
Is asking what occurred before the Big Bang like asking what is north of the North Pole?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
- 223
8
votes
4
answers
389
views
What is a miracle, and why should it influence our metaphysical beliefs?
There's a question on this site regarding what a rational person should accept as a miracle, but the question and its answers seem to take the definition and categorization (as well as consequence) of ...
- 1,881
6
votes
3
answers
823
views
Can there be Creation Ex Nihilo?
In Christian & Islamic Theology, one could argue that there can't be Creation Ex Nihilo since 'before' Creation there was God.
In Philosophical Naturalism (which is not Physicalism - it subsumes ...
4
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Can we ever know the origin of universe? [closed]
For sake of argument, let's assume that everything has to come from something. In this case, our universe must have come from something, lets call it 'thing 1'. 'Thing 1' in turn must have come from '...
- 149
4
votes
2
answers
362
views
Is a theory of physics possible with no constants?
The Standard Model of Physics has a number of constants. Obviously the fewer the better - simply in terms of there being less fundamentally inexplicable constants to explain.
It seems to me, in as ...
2
votes
2
answers
397
views
If X cannot emerge from nothingness, must X's existence be the decision of a Creator? [closed]
Laurence Krauss wrote a book titled "A Universe from Nothing" explaining how the Universe might have began. In this book Krauss does not address why the laws of physics exist, why they have the form ...
- 329
2
votes
5
answers
225
views
Can space be distorted without things that occupy the space being distorted?
Can space be distorted without things that occupy the space being distorted? I mean it is whether in reality or imagination?
- 39
2
votes
10
answers
944
views
How is it possible for an infinite number of moments to have elapsed prior to now?
In the context of the cosmological argument: How is it possible for an infinite number of equal length moments to have elapsed prior to now?
For more context . . I have read several discussions, ...
- 123
0
votes
2
answers
214
views
Does the Kalam cosmological argument prove that the prime Creator created this universe directly
I was reading about the Kalam cosmological argument
on wikipedia. The conclustion of which is:
An uncaused, personal Creator of the universe exists, who sans the universe is beginningless, ...
user40173