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We certainly know that our universe exists, however, this knowledge alone has not satisfied mankind's
quest for further understanding. Our curiosity has led us to question our place in this universe and
furthermore, the place of the universe itself. Throughout time we have asked ourselves these questions:
How did our universe begin? How old is our universe? How did matter come to exist? Obviously, these
are not simple questions and throughout our brief history on this planet much time and effort has been
spent looking for some clue. Yet, after all this energy has been expended, much of what we know is
still only speculation.
We have, however, come a long way from the mystical beginnings of the study of cosmology and the
origins of the universe. Through the understandings of modern science we have been able to provide
firm theories for some of the answers we once called hypotheses. True to the nature of science, a
majority of these answers have only led to more intriguing and complex questions. It seems to be
inherent in our search for knowledge that questions will always continue to exist.
Although in this short chapter it will be impossible to tackle all of the questions concerning the creation
of everything we know as reality, an attempt will be made to address certain fundamental questions of
our being. It will be important to keep in mind that all of this information is constantly being
questioned and reevaluated in order to understand the universe more clearly. For our purposes, through
an examination of what is known about the Big Bang itself, the age of the universe, and the synthesis of
the first atoms, we believe that we can begin to answer several of these key questions.
NOW WHAT?
In summary, we have made a first attempt at explaining the answers that science has revealed about our
universe. Our understanding of the Big Bang, the first atoms and the age of the universe is obviously
incomplete. As time wears on, more discoveries are made, leading to infinite questions which require
yet more answers. Unsatisfied with our base of knowledge research is being conducted around the
world at this very moment to further our minimal understanding of the unimaginably complex
universe.
Since its conception, the theory of the Big Bang has been constantly challenged. These challenges have
led those who believe in the theory to search for more concrete evidence which would prove them
correct. From the point at which this chapter leaves off, many have tried to go further and several
discoveries have been made that paint a more complete picture of the creation of the universe.
Recently, NASA has made some astounding discoveries which lend themselves to the proof of the Big
Bang theory. Most importantly, astronomers using the Astro-2 observatory were able to confirm one of
the requirements for the foundation of the universe through the Big Bang. In June, 1995, scientists were
able to detect primordial helium, such as deuterium, in the far reaches of the universe. These findings
are consistent with an important aspect of the Big Bang theory that a mixture of hydrogen and helium
was created at the beginning of the universe.
In addition, the Hubble telescope, named after the father of Big Bang theory, has provided certain clues
as to what elements were present following creation. Astronomers using Hubble have found the
element boron in extremely ancient stars. They postulate that its presence could be either a remnant of
energetic events at the birth of galaxies or it could indicate that boron is even older, dating back to the
Big Bang itself. If the latter is true, scientists will be forced once again to modify their theory for the
birth of the universe and events immediately afterward because, according to the present theory, such a
heavy and complex atom could not have existed.
In this manner we can see that the research will never be truly complete. Our hunger for knowledge
will never be satiated. So to answer the question, what now, is an impossibility. The path we take from
here will only be determined by our own discoveries and questions. We are engaged in a never-ending
cycle of questions and answers where one will inevitably lead to the other.
DEEP THOUGHTS
It is extremely difficult to separate this subject of science from daily existential pondering. Everyone at
some point in time has grappled with the question of why we are here? Some have found refuge in the
sheer philosophic nature of this question while others have taken a more scientific approach. These
particular wanderers have taken the question to a higher level, concentrating not only on human
existence but the existence of everything we know as real.
If you sit and try to imagine the whole of the entire universe it would be mind-boggling. However,
science has now told us that the universe is, in fact, finite, with a beginning, a middle, and a future. It is
easy to get caught up in the large scale of the issue in discussing years by the billions, yet, this time still
passes. As we travel through our own lives here on Earth, we also travel through the life of our
universe.
In this chapter, we have made some attempts to explain this journey. It is odd that we will never truly
know how it began. We can only speculate and give our best guess. Through our own devices we have
been able to produce evidence that these guesses are close to the truth. But centuries from now, will the
human race compare us to those who once thought of the Earth as the center of the universe?
GLOSSARY
Baryons-- common particles including photons and neutrinos created at approximately 10^-33 seconds
after the Big Bang
Deuterium-- a heavy isotope of hyrogen containing on proton and one neutron
Hadrons-- composite particles such as protons and neutrons forming after the temperature drops to 300
MeV
Leptons-- light particles existing with hadros including electrons, neutrinos and photons
Red Shift-- shift toward the red in the spectra of light reaching us from the stars in distant galaxies
Tritium-- transitional element between deuterium and the formation of a helium nucleus
REFERENCES
Literature
Kaufmann, William J., III. Galaxies and Quasars. San Fransisco: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1979.
Silk, Joseph. A Short History of the Universe. New York: Scientific American Library, 1994.
Taylor, John. When the Clock Struck Zero. New York: St. Martins Press, 1993.
Trinh, Xuan Thuan. The Birth of the Universe: The Big Bang and After. New York: Harry N. Abrams,
Inc., 1993.