/sci/ - Science & Math

[Anonymous No.1037941]

Hello, /sci/.
I have no formal training in science, but I've always been very interested in it, and I have a question that I was hoping you could answer in terms that I can handle.

It concerns time, and the big bang. Essentially, I'm wondering how exactly time works. I understand that it's relative to the observer, but in reality, how does this apply? What factor is it dependent on?

Also, if the mechanics of time apply only because of the properties of the universe that was created prior to the big bang, what does this mean for the period before it happened? I understand that the universe came from a very "hot, dense" state, but how would that state occur if time wasn't progressing beforehand?

Thanks

[Anonymous No.1037959]

Sorry, I meant AFTER the big bang, not prior to it.

[Anonymous No.1038017]

Well, in modern cosmology, the universe is thought to have always existed; the framework at least. We don't know what caused the big bang, but we're pretty sure that's how this universe started. As for the 'Laws of Nature", well, we think we can trace them to <span class="math">10^{-43}sec[/spoiler] after the big bang. We think the 4 fundamental forces amalgamate back together at higher temperatures and pressures, producing a single, all-encompassing idea that explains every physical phenomena we know. So far we have actually only observed the weak and electromagnetic forces combining into a single entity.