# Prove the big bang... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 14, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575 "2007-08-14T17:22:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/21 "2007-08-14T18:03:32Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] How come they gotta be sweaty? Eww. [/QUOTE] In August? In Israel? Sweaty, all the way. I’m there right now, I can prove it! ETA: You beat me to it, **dropzone** … but I had a better punchline! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/22 "2007-08-14T18:07:29Z")
Yeah, but its a DRY heat… -XT ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/23 "2007-08-14T18:09:19Z")
[QUOTE=lightwait] I dare you to prove the big bang! You cannot do it! You were not there! Blessings [/QUOTE] The Big Bang is easily proved. Definition: The emergence of the universe from a single point. Prove: The universe emerged from a single point. Premise: Physical laws in the universe are everywhere the same. (A reasonable premise used in both relativity theories) Step 1: The universe is expanding in every direction. (Observation) Step 2: Spacetime is shaped like a cone. (General Relativity) Step 3: The reverse of expansion is recession. (Law of Negation) Step 4: The recession of spacetime leads to an apex. (Premise and Step 2) Step 5: Every part of the universe leads to an apex. (Step 1 and Step 4) Conclusion: Every part of the universe expanded from an apex. (Step 3 and Step 5) QED ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/24 "2007-08-14T18:10:17Z")
[QUOTE=malkavia] I also cannot prove that the Circle K on my corner was built by men and not firebreathing robots. [/QUOTE] You’d lose that bet anyway. You should have been there for it. It was _awesome_. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/25 "2007-08-14T18:13:43Z")
Prove I wasn’t there. And lightwait goes on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/26 "2007-08-14T18:17:14Z")
Any votes for “gradual expansion”? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/27 "2007-08-14T18:18:20Z")
You see, when a Big God Daddy loves a Big God Mommy very much, they go to the Big God Bed and have a Big God Bang, and then 9 months later the Universe is born. Or the Big God Stork brought it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/28 "2007-08-14T18:58:50Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] ETA: Prove anything other than your own consciousness exists and that your brain isn’t just kept alive in a jar somewhere having vivid and sensory hallucinations. [/QUOTE] It is against the Code to call **lightwait’s** attention to that possibility, **Sampiro.** I shall not caution you again. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/29 "2007-08-14T19:01:03Z")
[QUOTE=Pleonast] They’re telling the truth. I know since I installed the windowless monad upon which **sturmhauke** projects thoughts of **Taber**. [/QUOTE] I hope you kept the work order so you can _prove it!_ ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/30 "2007-08-14T19:01:41Z")
Did the OP ever bother to come back in his Let there be light thread btw? This looks like another drive by to me… -XT ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/31 "2007-08-14T19:08:29Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] You see, when a Big God Daddy loves a Big God Mommy very much, they go to the Big God Bed and have a Big God Bang, and then 9 months later the Universe is born. Or the Big God Stork brought it. [/QUOTE] I’m pretty sure God was still a frat boy. And here’s my [evidence](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OFmAsjV-OQ). ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/32 "2007-08-14T19:15:15Z")
[QUOTE=xtisme] Did the OP ever bother to come back in his Let there be light thread btw? This looks like another drive by to me… -XT [/QUOTE] He did, several times. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/33 "2007-08-14T19:16:03Z")
**Lightwait** , I believe that no matter what standard of proof anyone may present to answer your question, you would shift the goalposts and demand something further. If that is true, then there is no point in responding to your question, because you are not really interested in any answwer that happens to disagree with your preconceptions. Don’t worry, I’ll hazard a response anyway. Your statement that the “Big Bang” (really an inflationary model) theory cannot be proved because no one was there to see it has no meaning. No one can see an electron, yet I presume you would agree that such a thing as electricity exists, and that something like an electron is necessary to explain how electricity works. “Big bang” is one of many theories that have been floated over the years to explain the known characteristics of the universe. It’s not a perfect theory, by any means. Should further research find that another theory fits the known facts better, it will become the one preferred by science. Should facts indicate that certain of your beliefs (_cf._ the origin of the universe) are wrong, would you be able take on those facts? I suspect the answer is no. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/34 "2007-08-14T20:23:06Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Ashtar] He did, several times. [/QUOTE] My bad then…sorry. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/35 "2007-08-14T20:23:36Z")
[QUOTE=El\_Kabong] No one can see an electron, yet I presume you would agree that such a thing as electricity exists, and that something like an electron is necessary to explain how electricity works. [/QUOTE] Actually you **can** see an electron with the proper equipment. As I recall, it requires a Penning trap ( a magnetic device to keep the electron in place ), a mirror from a telescope, and a laser ( which excites the electron into glowing ). I can’t find a link about it, but the scientist in question said he developed the technique in part because of all the people who told him “You can’t an atom, but . . .” and "you can’t see an electron, but . . . " ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/36 "2007-08-14T20:55:39Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] Actually you **can** see an electron with the proper equipment. As I recall, it requires a Penning trap ( a magnetic device to keep the electron in place ), a mirror from a telescope, and a laser ( which excites the electron into glowing ). I can’t find a link about it, but the scientist in question said he developed the technique in part because of all the people who told him “You can’t an atom, but . . .” and "you can’t see an electron, but . . . " [/QUOTE] Fair enough, but this occurred long after electrical theory was established, didn’t it? It wasn’t necessary at the time to see an electron to be able to describe its characteristics. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/37 "2007-08-14T20:59:21Z")
Hey, I picked\* truth\*, thanks very much. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/38 "2007-08-14T21:07:04Z")
[QUOTE=lightwait] I dare you to prove the big bang! [/QUOTE] I dare you to prove that I am not God, speaking to you elliptically, leading you slowly to truth, and shaking My head sadly that you adhere to ignorant nonsense and childish confrontation, and close your peevish eyes to the awesome beauty of the greatest of My creations. And also, that I have a huge Boner right now. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/39 "2007-08-14T21:07:57Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] Actually you **can** see an electron with the proper equipment. As I recall, it requires a Penning trap ( a magnetic device to keep the electron in place ), a mirror from a telescope, and a laser ( which excites the electron into glowing ). I can’t find a link about it, but the scientist in question said he developed the technique in part because of all the people who told him “You can’t an atom, but . . .” and "you can’t see an electron, but . . . " [/QUOTE] “The atoms or the elementary particles are not real; they form a world of potentialities and possibilities rather than one of things or facts.” — Werner Heisenberg ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575/40 "2007-08-14T21:39:51Z")
Can you tell me what, _precisely_, you hope to accomplish with this thread? Seriously. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prove-the-big-bang/415575.md?page=3)