# What was the Big Bang before it Banged?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-big-bang-before-it-banged/501099>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 26, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-big-bang-before-it-banged/501099 "2009-06-26T18:59:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![straggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@straggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straggler)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-big-bang-before-it-banged/501099/61 "2009-06-30T00:20:43Z")

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I don’t get it. But thanks for trying to explain…

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**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-big-bang-before-it-banged/501099/62 "2009-06-30T00:28:57Z")

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> [@straggler](#):
>
> Here’s where the first question mark pops in to my head. Would I also see you zoom past “slower” than you actually are? So when you appear as though you are right next to me, you’ve actually already shot well past me?

What do you mean by “actually”? 😃

Say when we reach our point of closest approach, you glance at your clock. It says 12:30. You look at my clock and it says 12:10. However, from my perspective, when my clock says 12:10 you’re still far, far way. We won’t pass each other for another 20 minutes. When we do pass each other, my clock says 12:30, and yours says 12:10.

Note that this is \*after \*we take into account all the delays involved with photons travelling between us. Time is actually flowing at different rates for us.

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