I was recently discussing Hilbert's Hotel with a theist, and I said the following:
Please note that these are peer-reviewed papers in respected journals, not mere pop-sci.Get in on the conversation here.
As for time, that problem is basically unsolved either way. You claim that an "actual infinity" exists -- God -- while philosophers claim that an actual infinity exists -- causation. No one thinks that space-time is infinite from the singularity to now, the question is about what the singularity represents (a breakdown in our understanding).
One of the two following things is true:
there is an infinite chain/cessation of cause and effect (p)
-or-
there is not (~p)
We may write:
1) All things have a cause (p)
2) Some things, or one thing, are uncaused (~p)
Even if we assume that p is impossible, the problem is in proving the case that God is the uncaused thing, versus the set of all existents (the universe).
Also, most people aren't aware of this, but the resurrection of the cyclic universe model came in recent times. What allowed it is advances in our understanding of particle physics and mathematics, brought on by investigations into supersymmetry and string theory. The original paper was in the highly-respected journal Science.
The physicist Paul Steinhardt, Albert Einstein Professor of Physics at Princeton, on the cyclic universe and "before the big bang" at his webpage. Steinhardt co-wrote the original papers with Neil Turok of Cambridge. On Steinhardt's website, he has a very useful FAQ that deals extensively with the technical issues involved, especially the question of entropy. His reply to critiques from physicists is also useful.
These arguments are light-years ahead of public awareness. They present a serious and viable challenge to the old concept of the "singularity", without contradicting the vast evidence to support the Standard Model (aka the "Big Bang"). Both models (cyclic and big bang) are compatible throughout 99.999999999999999...% of the universe's existence, only in "the beginning" and "the end" do they diverge.
But it is with that tiniest fraction, of course, that we are fascinated.
I also have some layman-oriented (sort of) papers on the cyclic model and the long-standing issues with trying to understand the nature of the singularity, and fixing the long-standing issues with the standard model:
- Seed article by Steinhardt -- link
- A summary of issues with the cyclic universe -- link
- A physicist's take on the issues with the big bang and their solutions with a cyclic model -- link
Please note that these are peer-reviewed papers in respected journals, not mere pop-sci.Get in on the conversation here.
