Modern Physics and Ancient FaithStephen M. BarrPart II: In the Beginning Ch 4: The Expectations p33 With the Big Bang being apparently the beginning of time and space at about 15 billion years back, the words of Genesis "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." seem to be confirmed. p34 Aquinas discussion of beginnings p35 Scientific materialists preferred a universe infinitely old.
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Modern Physics and Ancient FaithStephen M. BarrCh 5: How Things Looked One Hundred Years Ago p36 Newtonian physics treats time as infinite in both directions, conservation of energy suggests that the universe is of infinite age since a beginning violates it. No hint of the "beginning" that persons of faith had believed for millenia.
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Modern Physics and Ancient FaithStephen M. BarrCh 6: The Big Bang p38-39 Slipher, Hubble, Humason, then Einstein equation p41 Einstein "Subtle is the Lord, but he is not malicious." p42 discussion of cosmological constant p43 Friedman and Lemaitre. Objections to expanding universe. As late as 1959 p44 Steady state model. p45 Alpher, Herman and Gamow modeled early big bang p46 Penzias and Wilson
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Modern Physics and Ancient FaithStephen M. BarrCh 7: Was the Big Bang Really the Beginning? p47 Augustine's reasoning that the universe had a beginning and that this meant that time had a beginning. p48 Homogeneity, the curvature of space p51 Expansion of space, balloon and flat sheet models. Describes closed universe. p52 flat or very nearly so, may be infinite, expansion is accelerating. p52 Bouncing universe scenario p54 Baby universes p54 Eternal inflation scenario. Flatness and horizon problems.
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Modern Physics and Ancient FaithStephen M. BarrCh 8 What If the Big Bang Was Not the Beginning? p60 Discussion of 2nd law of thermo as argument that universe was not eternal. p60 Interesting Psalm 102:25-26 "Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment." p60 Cardinal Ratzinger statement.
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