Science
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Many people seem to think scientists have more answers than they really do. In reality, there are many unanswered questions about the universe and how it began and also life on earth. Science has made a lot of progress in answering many questions but some of these answers bring up new questions to be answered.
The farthest we can see back in the universe is the cosmic microwave background and that is about 400,000 years after the big bang. Humans will never be able to see back to the big bang itself so therefore we will never know exactly how it happened. Also humans will never see what is outside of our universe. So the various theories about the beginning of the universe and what exists outside the universe will never be able to be proven. There can be evidence that points to a particular theory or theories but humans will not be able to make actual observations to definitively prove them.
The same is true with the origin of life on earth. Most likely the oldest life on earth was not fossilized so humans will not be able to confirm what the first life form on earth was. Scientists can use the evidence we do have to create theories on what was the first life form and how it formed but will never be able to prove it.
Below are some of the more popular scientific theories and information on why they are only theories and not proven facts. Also, here is a list of the the scientific laws and forces in the universe that are helpful to know for some of these theories.
- The laws of thermodynamics describe the relationships between thermal energy, or heat, and other forms of energy, and how energy affects matter.
- The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed; the total quantity of energy in the universe stays the same.
- The Second Law of Thermodynamics is about the quality of energy. It states that as energy is transferred or transformed, more and more of it is wasted. The Second Law also states that there is a natural tendency of any isolated system to degenerate into a more disordered state.
- Electromagnetism explains how atoms hold together
- The strong nuclear force explains the stability of the nucleus at the heart of the atom
- The weak nuclear force explains why some atoms undergo radioactive decay
- Gravity is the universal force of attraction acting between all matter.
- Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be converted from one form of energy to another.
- Basically a system (such as our universe) always has the same amount of energy unless it’s added from the outside.
Scientific Theories
Some of the more popular scientific theories for the creation of the universe and life on earth.
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The Big Bang Theory
An overview of the Big Bang theory and the extensions added to it.
Universe from Nothing
What is "nothing" and how could the universe begin from nothing.
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Fine Tuning of the Universe
What is the supposed "fine tuning" of the Universe.
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How did Life Begin on Earth
What is the earliest life on Earth, when did it begin, and how did more complex life form.
Timeline for Life on Earth
This is a rough timeline of the history of the earth and life on it.