Universe: beginnings

A pictorial representation of some of the important events in the thermal history of the universe is shown in Figure 12.5. The description of the evolution of the universe begins at 10-43 s after the Big Bang, the so-called Planck time. The universe at that time had a temperature of 1032K kBT 1019GeV) and a volume that was 10-31 of its current volume. [To convert temperature in K to... 

The creation stories contain far more than matter theory, but they share some characteristics that tell us about the human drive to understand matter. In most stories, matter does not exist until called into being by a creator. The first matter created is usually completely pure, untainted by anything else and made up of only one undifferentiated substance. Thus, the start of the physical universe begins when the creator introduces the first element. The prime element must then be divided or transformed into classes of matter, typically earth, water, air, and sometimes fire or light. There is almost always a sense... 

Where did we come from How did the universe begin Humans have asked these questions for as long as we have been able to think. The search for answers provides an example of the scientific method. 

Some people have speculated that the second law might not be universally valid, but might just be a statement of what nearly always occurs. If so, perhaps under some circumstances violations of the second law could be observed (possibly if the universe begins to contract instead of expand). This idea is unsupported speculation, and we have every reason to apply the second law of thermodynamics to any process in any macroscopic system. ... 

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