Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry
There are energy issues... where did this [energy for inflation] come from? Inflation does not address this energy issue.
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Hey Jerry
I thought about this a bit.
It seems science doesn't have a good handle on the properties of the universe prior to the planck epoch, save it was very hot and very dense. Could it be that the energy for everything that has happened to the universe since, was already there at the start?
To me, the idea of the universe condensing out of this unimaginably hot, dense, and energetic state has always appealed. If you compare the young universe to steam: steam doesn't require any energy added to condense into water...the 'steam' actually gives up energy to it's environment in the process, right? I think the technical term is 'exothermic phase transition'. To a lay man like myself, does this address your thermodynamic objection in any way? I still haven't listened to the podcast so I don't know if Fraser or Pamela have mentioned the idea already, apologies if they have.
Of course, the really big mystery would be how did the 'steam' get there in the first place?
For me, the 'expansion' of the universe and this idea of 'phase transition' are inextricably linked. Did one somehow cause the other... or each other? And then you have the 'arrow of time.' Its all wonderfully evocative to imagine when I look out at the night sky with my two little boys. (They already love to tell people they're made of Stardust, I think I'll get them to try Condensed Big Bang!)
Anyways... back to work for me...
