Side bar article to: Fairytale Apologetics, the Doctrine of Demons and Biblical Inerrancy
There are quite a number of problems with the Big Bang theory – any one of which without a feasible solution – is enough to falsify the theory. Search for “Big bang problems” and you’ll find lists with item counts ranging from 3 to 30. Here, as a quick reference, is a list of 10 (more or less) well known, and insurmountable problems with the big bang theory.
1. The Smoothness Problem
2. The Flatness Problem
3. The Horizon Problem
4. The Monopole Problem
5. The Origin of the Laws of Physics
6. The Higgs Boson Contradiction
7. The Singularity Contradiction
8. Missing Items
9. Age Problems
10. The ad hoc, made-up solution “Cosmic Inflation”
According to the big bang, in order for anything to form, you need sufficient gravity to pull things together to start form the first clump of mass, that will eventually form stars, that can eventually make planets and other things. But at it’s origin, the universe is too smooth – all forces cancel out so nothing can be pulled together to form the first clump.
Scientists have determined that the universe is flat. It could curve inwards or outwards, but it doesn’t. It is very conveniently very flat. Why is that? Another fine tuning problem. Cosmologist Dr. John Hartnett puts this into perspective. According to the big bang model:
“…the force of the explosion matched the force of gravity to one part in 1060. To put this in perspective, there are about 1080 protons in the visible universe, so 1020 protons, about one grain of sand, would have unbalanced the Big Bang, causing it either to recollapse into a black hole, or to expand so fast as to never form stars and galaxies. One grain of sand more, one grain less and we would not be here.”[1]
The temperature of the universe is very uniform. Depending on who you listen to the temperature of the universe varies by only 1/50,000 to 1/100,000 of a degree. This is unexpected from the initial big bang explosion – explosions don’t distribute things that evenly. The only way the universe could achieve such a uniform temperature is if the various elements mixed together – essentially if they were touching. But scientists calculate the speed of the explosion of the big bang was so great, they could not have touched during the explosion. And the universe is so big, there has not been enough time for light to travel from one end of the universe (or from one horizon to the other) to the other to smooth things out. (More on the horizon problem here). The supposed solution – inflation – more on that below.
4. The Monopole Problem
Dr. Hartnett explains:
“…magnetic monopoles were supposed to be produced in the early big bang, but have not been found. During the early big bang, when enormous energies were supposedly available the magnetic force was not yet combined with the electric force, and so just as we now have separate negatively and positively charged particles (electrons and protons, respectively) at that time there would have been separate “north” and “south” magnetic monopoles, but no one has ever found a magnetic monopole.[2]
5. The Origin of the Laws of physics
Two aspects:
a) Why are there any laws at all? Where did they come from? Why are they understandable? Why are they quantifiable with mathematics?
b) Why are the laws finely tuned? British cosmologist and astronomer royal Martin Rees describes six of the many finely tuned attributes of the universe:
“This book describes six numbers that now seem especially significant. Two of them relate to the basic forces; two fix the size and overall ‘texture’ of our universe and determine whether it will continue for ever; and two more fix the properties of space itself”[3]
The idea of a “multiverse” that is supposed to explain the fine tuning of the laws of physics and is another problematic ad hoc invention. (More on why you shouldn’t believe in a multiverse here.)
6. The Higgs Boson Contradiction
The Higgs Boson is what gives mass to matter and thus makes life possible. Even before the discovery of the particle predicted by Peter Higgs, the Big Bang theory as proposed was recognized as irrevocably broken. To fix it Alan Guth proposed, and big bang adherents accepted, the theory of cosmic inflation. It is now a necessary part of the theory. But with the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson, scientists have discovered that the Higgs and inflation are incompatible. In other words if the Higgs boson exists, inflation can’t exist. If inflation can’t exist the big bang would have collapsed in on itself, and we wouldn’t be here. (Do you exist? If so then inflation can’t exist.) A bit of the problem for the big bang. For more on this contradiction see: Testimony of the Higgs Boson
7. The Singularity Contradiction
The big bang supposedly exploded all the mass and energy that will every exist out of nothing – and event which they call a “singularity.” But if nothing exists, how can anything come into existence? From nothing comes nothing. Thus the big bang breaks the law of conservation of energy (aka the first law of thermodynamics) – energy can be neither created nor destroyed in a closed system.
To get around this problem of breaking the law of conservation of energy scientists engage in a logical fallacy – they equivocate on the word “nothing.” Scientists say nothing existed prior to the singularity, but don’t really mean nothing, they really mean “something”. For more see Exposing the Big Magic behind the Big Bang
There are two types here – items that should exist, but can’t be found, and an item that does exist, but not in the correct proportion. First up – items that should exist but can’t be found:
a) Missing Made up entities needed to make the theory work:
– Dark Matter – Needed to explain distant galaxy rotational curves and allow stars and large structures to form
– Dark Energy to explain the supposed rapidly accelerating expansion of the universe (which is based on an interpretation of Doppler red shift).
– A Host of “dark” entities to make ‘dark’ interactions work – dark: fluid, flow, radiation, photons. For more see:
“Dark Photons: Another Cosmic Fudge Factor“[4]
b) An Item Missing in the correct Proportion: – Anti matter
Equal amounts of matter and anti-matter should have been created in the big bang. Since matter and anti-matter annihilate each other on contact, lucky for us the overwhelmingly predominant form is matter – without equal parts of anti-matter. But that leaves the question for the big bang – where is all the anti-matter?
The big bang predicts that as time goes on, stars form, then planets, solar systems and galaxies. Big Bang adherents believe that in looking at distant galaxies and stars you’re looking back in time because of the time it would have taken for light to travel the billions of light-years to get here. Thus the older the galaxy, the younger it should look. But that’s not what we find:
– Distant Galaxies that should look young. in fact look mature, fully formed. But in theory, they haven’t had the time to develop into mature galaxies.
– Furthermore the ages of globular clusters appear older than the universe. This is a problem akin to a child being older than its parents. How is this possible?
10. The ad hoc, made-up solution “Cosmic Inflation”
I’ve saved the biggest problem for last. Cosmic Inflation is intended to solve many of the problems listed above such as the Horizon problem, and the monopole problem. But it has a number of problems of its own:
– How and why did it start?
– How and why did it stop?
– How did it manage to break the known laws of physics? (Reversing gravity, accelerating things faster than the speed of light through a supposed expansion of space?)
– The supposed particle that drives it – an “inflaton” – has never been found.
– As mentioned above – inflation is incompatible with the Higgs Boson. Since we know the Higgs exists, how did inflation happen as they claim, since if it did, we shouldn’t be here?
For an explanation of inflation by the one who dreamed it up, Alan Guth, see here
Notes
1. John G. Hartnett, “Inflation – all in the ‘Dark’ – The Higgs boson messes with cosmic inflation”, Creation Ministries International, 31 July 2014, https://creation.com/inflation-all-in-the-dark
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2. Alex Williams and John Hartnett, PhD., “Dismantling the Big Bang – God’s Universe Re-discovered.” Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2005 p. 122″
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3. Martin Rees, “Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces that Shape The Universe“, New York: Basic Books, 2000, p. 2
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4. John G. Hartnett, “‘Dark Photons’: Another Cosmic Fudge Factor”, Bible Science Forum, August 18, 2015, https://biblescienceforum.com/2015/08/18/dark-photons-another-cosmic-fudge-factor/
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References
Books:
“Dismantling the Big Bang – God’s Universe Re-discovered.”
Alex Williams and John Hartnett, PhD., Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2005
Evolution’s Achilles’ Heel,
Edited by Robert Carter, Ph.D, Powder Springs GA: 2014, p. 218
Online Resources:
20 big bang busting bloopers,
Dr. John G Hartnett, Bible Science Forum, August 8 2016
https://biblescienceforum.com/2016/08/08/20-big-bang-busting-bloopers/
Astronomy Evidence Against the Big Bang,
Bob Enyart, The Creation Club, January 15, 2016,
http://thecreationclub.com/astronomy-evidence-against-the-big-bang/
Big Bang or Big Fizzle: DOA-RIP,
Creation Studies Institute, accessed 8/12/2011 http://www.creationstudies.org/Education/big_bang.htm
Cosmology: The Big Bang theory – Problems of the Big Bang Theory,
Geoff Haselhurst, accessed 12/13/2018
https://www.spaceandmotion.com/Cosmology-Big-Bang-Theory.htm
Problems with the Big Bang,
Dr. Danny R.Faulkner, Creation Ministries International, June 11, 2013
https://answersingenesis.org/big-bang/problems-with-the-big-bang/
The big bang is not a Reason to Believe,
Dr. John G. Hartnett, Creation Ministries International, 20 May 2014 https://creation.com/big-bang-not-a-reason
The Top 30 Problems with the Big Bang theory,
Tom Van Flandern
(Reprinted from Meta Research Bulletin 11, 6-13, 2002), accessed 12/13/2018 https://www.spaceandmotion.com/cosmology/top-30-problems-big-bang-theory.htm
Image:
Based on Public Domain NASA/JPL image
