Life and the Cosmos
The discovery of amino acids in meteorites (Murchison meteorite) strongly suggests that Life came to this planet from elsewhere. Also, in combination with the immensity of the Universe, it seems most reasonable to conclude that Life exists elsewhere in the Universe and that the ultimate truth about Life and the Life Drive are contained at the universe level.
Until the 20th century, our observations and scientific study led us to understand that the heavens we observe from our planet extended infinitely in all directions. Edwin Hubble, however, observed that the universe is expanding, galaxies of stars are moving away from one another, and the velocity of each galaxy is proportional to its distance. Galaxies that are twice as far from us move twice as fast. The galaxies are moving as if they all originated from one spot.
Hubble’s discoveries served as the basis for the Big Bang Theory, which is the dominant theory about the origin of the universe among physicists and astronomers. According to this theory a large explosion created the universe more than 13 billion years ago. Prior to the explosion, apparently all the matter in the universe existed in one spot. Gravity was infinite. It is difficult to conceptualize that all the matter in the universe was at one time concentrated in one spot.
Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity leads to similar hard-to-relate-to conclusions. The scientific community accepts the theory of relativity and all observable facts support it. The theory of relativity leads to counter-intuitive conditions in our universe. The fundamentals of this theory state that as speed in the universe increases the following occur:
- mass increases
- size decreases
- time slows
- gravity increases
As the speed of light (186,000 miles/second) is approached, time comes near to a full stop, mass increases to infinity, gravity increases to infinity, and size approaches zero. At the speed of light these all become absolutes. We cannot conceive of infinite mass with infinitesimal size. Nor can we conceptually grasp the concept of “no time”. It seems impossible for these conditions to co-exist. This is because our existence and all of our life experiences are entirely within the small range of time and speed conditions that exist for us on our planet. The velocity range that any of us normally experiences is contained within a very, very small range. The greatest speed difference most of us experience is about 600 miles/hour – the relative speed we attain in an aircraft. This is minuscule compared to the speed of light, which is approximately 670,000,000 miles/hour. We do not have any real life experience with the conditions that exist at speeds close to the speed of light; they are totally outside of our human experience and we cannot relate to them. However, these conditions do exist elsewhere in the universe.
Let us try to reconcile the Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Relativity. The Big Bang Theory tells us that before the bang all the mass of the universe was contained in an extremely small spot. This means there was nearly infinite mass in a nearly infinitesimal space. These are 2 of the conditions that Einstein determined occur at the speed of light. If we apply Einstein’s theory to this, we conclude that the infinite mass was not only located in a small spot with infinite gravity, but that it was also traveling at the speed of light….AND…time was stopped! If time was stopped prior to the bang, we are led to conclude that time in our universe literally began with the Big Bang.
Prior to the big bang, infinite mass in an infinitesimally small point was traveling at the speed of light and time was stopped. Time literally began with the Big Bang. The very fact that we exist here in our “real” world is related to the fact that we are NOT traveling at the speed of light. Time exists in our real world and objects have knowable masses and sizes.
Another thing to consider is the existence of black holes in the universe. Black holes are known to have immense gravitational pull; the gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape and this is why they appear black. All matter in the area (stars and galaxies) of a black hole is sucked into the hole. We should consider that the conditions within the black hole are the same as those that existed prior to the big bang. It is as if portions of our current observable universe are being subjected to infinite gravity and mass, small size, and traveling at the speed of light….into black holes. Are black holes possible portals to other universes?
The Big Bang was the beginning of time as we know it. Is time infinite? It is quite easy to grasp the concept of an infinite future. However, it is not possible to comfortably grasp the concept of an infinite past. It is much easier to grasp the concept of a beginning point in time. The Big Bang Theory matches with our inner ability to conceptualize time.
Why did the big bang happen? This inevitably leads to the first cause theory postulated by Saint Thomas Aquinas. If an event happens, something must have triggered it. If some event happens, something must have existed prior to the event in order to cause it to happen. Theoretically, there can’t be an uncaused first cause. If all of the matter was concentrated in one small spot, what caused it to slow down from the speed of light and explode? There must have been a cause behind the Big Bang. And….why did matter exist to begin with? The Big Bang did not just happen – something had to cause it. As with every unknown, God can be placed at the end of the line of reasoning. Is it possible that the Life Drive (and God) is what caused the Big Bang?
