Thread: big bang

i keep reading and watching programs about the big bang,black holes,inflation,and they give the impression that they are getting nearer to discovering how the universe was created.the latest theory is that the universe spewed out of a black hole.what nobody explains or can tell me is where the matter came from.was it floating in space!where did space come from.the other thing that intrigues me is the theory that the universe is travelling away from us,into what,is it creating it's own space or if it's travelling into space where did the space come from.again with the big bang theory they say matter exploded and started the universe,they do not expain where the matter came from,if it was floating in space,again,where did the space come from?
i would appreciate it if someone in laymans terms could explain it to me

The Big Bang theory, contrary to popular understanding, does not deal with the origin of the universe, but with its behaviour in the very earliest fraction of a second after it came into existence. Since observational evidence points very clearly towards expansion this leads to the conclusion that originally the universe was much smaller, denser and hotter. Further observations match the theoretical calculations of what we would expect to 'see'. However, BBT does not actually deal with what preceded those early moments.

It is true that some scientists have speculated on what occured and why it occured, but since most of these proposals cannot be tested, certainly at present, they are considered to be poor science.

Your supposition that as the universe expands it is creating its own space is largely correct. Where does the space come from? It arises as a consequence of the expansion.

Remember also that calling the Big Bang an explosion is just a convenient use of words. This was nothing like a conventional explosion. Thinking of it as one leads to the ambiguity and uncertainty you are currently experiencing.

This is a very simple and simplistic explanation, but I hope it is of some use to you.

Originally Posted by albert 123

what nobody explains or can tell me is where the matter came from

We don't know. It may have always been there (perhaps from a previous universe that collapsed). It may have appeared "from nothing" (it may be that the total energy of the universe is zero). It may have emerged from a black hole formed in another universe (pretty "out there" as an idea). It might have been created by a God or gods. Or something else. All we can do at the moment is speculate.