Before the Big Bang?

Smuncey,

In case it escaped your attention, Uncle Rich has no religious beliefs.  But thanks for the heads up on the show.  I'll tune in to see what it might add to what I've already read on the subject.

RichK

Smuncey,

Since you were so kind as to give us all a heads up on this program. I thought it only fair that I should give you a heads up on some of the subjects it might cover.

They'll talk @ temperature, especially Kelvin, being important to theorising on the Big Bang.  Same thing @ background radiation.

As far as age is concerned, expansion rates are important for determining age, the expansion of space mater, stars, dust etc. for example.  Motions & directions of the movement of galaxies gets thrown into the mix.  The rate of expansion is not constant so the the computations can get a bit difficult, but not impossible.

Terms like the Big Crunch, oscillation and Big Bounce may be mentioned, so pay attention class.

Open & closed universe speculation might be mentioned.  Many theoreticians favor a marginally open universe, so don't bother asking me.

The aforementioned importance of temperature & background radiation helps us to look back to at least the Big Bang.  It's already been done, at least to within a couple hundred thousands of years of the BB (Big Bang) itself.  Pretty darn close, if you ask me.  A "cosmic fog" prevents our current telescopes to see beyond the BB.  Patience my lad, patience.  Science & technology marches on, improving at every step.

Although we can't actually see closer to the BB than a couple of hundred thousand years, scientists think they have a pretty good understanding of events that occurred as far back as a tiny fraction of a second after the BB.

For the rest, we'll just have to watch & learn, little grasshoppers.  I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to theoretical physics, in general & theoretical astro physics, in particular, there is much that goes way above my head.  I got a pain in the eye reading Hawkings.  But on the good side, not only is evidence used, but there will be absolutely no threats whatsoever against you in the afterlife, if there is one, if you choose not to accept what is being presented.  Now, isn't that SPECIAL?  JATFUR.

RichK