Origins of the Origins of the UniverseUniverse

Origins of the UniverseOrigins of the Universe How did it all get here? How did it all get here? MANY THEORIES!!!! MANY THEORIES!!!!

Big Bang TheoryBig Bang Theory

Steady State Theory Steady State Theory

Oscillating TheoryOscillating Theory

Creation TheoryCreation Theory

Intelligent DesignIntelligent Design

Origins of the UniverseOrigins of the UniverseA. Universe is expandingA. Universe is expanding

- Edwin Hubble - in 1929 announced - Edwin Hubble - in 1929 announced hishis

theory that the universe theory that the universe

is continuallyis continually

expandingexpanding

studied light from studied light from

distant starsdistant stars

Origins of the UniverseOrigins of the Universe- - Red shiftRed shift - a shift in the expanding - a shift in the expanding

wavelengths of light toward the red colorwavelengths of light toward the red color

caused by object caused by object that is producing that is producing light moving away light moving away from us, the from us, the observers of that observers of that light light suggests that suggests that space itself is space itself is expandingexpanding

Origins of the UniverseOrigins of the Universe- all galaxies are moving away from center of all galaxies are moving away from center of

universeuniverse

B. Expansion implies that B. Expansion implies that at some point theat some point the universe was smaller universe was smaller

- if it is expanding, - if it is expanding, the universe must the universe must have been smallerhave been smaller

Big Bang Theory

Theoretical Origins of the Universe

- most widely accepted among scientists at the present

Nobody alive was there to see this.•You are under no obligation

to believe this theory. It is simply one possible explanation among many possible explanations for the origins of the universe.

Big Bang Theory• Main Premise: the universe began with a gigantic explosion 10-29 billion years ago

nothing existed before this NO time, NO space

out of nothingness came everything in the universe and it started to expand

Where is Theory found? Authored and thought of by

several scientists based on work of Hubble’s red shift

Timeline:• What we see around us (according to

the Big Bang theory)

1. Dime sized densely packed piece of matter (containing all the matter in the universe) appeared out of the nothingness and exploded

Timeline:

2. Expansion of the universe during the first few seconds after the big bang, cooled the created matter enough for protons, neutrons, and electrons to form as free particles, but not to

become stable atoms

Timeline:

3. After ~1million years the expansion and cooling allowed hydrogen to form- now hydrogen is the most abundant element in the known universe

Timeline:

4. This allowed the formation of other elements, then stars, planets, etc.

Timeline:

5. Eventually life evolved from non-living precursors, and eventually into the life we see on Earth.

Timeline:

6. Maybe life evolved on other planets in our galaxy or other galaxies as well?

Timeline:7. The future of the universe

- still expanding but for how long?- gravity from all existing objects pulls against this expansion

- 3 possible outcomes1. Universe expands forever

2. Expansion will gradually slow down until a size limit is reached

3. Expansion will stop and the universe will begin to contract and fall in on itself Big Crunch

** Depends on the amount of matter in the universe (and the mass)

Evidence:

Cosmic background radiation is evidence used in support of the theory- faint radiation left over from the explosion itself

Red shift of wavelengths of light from distant galaxies

Expansion implies smaller in past

Problems / Issues / Flaws with theory:

There was nothing, then there was something. From where did it come?

All matter in the universe in a dime sized package

Outcomes? Which will happen?