Modern Physics and Ancient Faith

Stephen M. Barr

Part 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 Faith

Stephen M. Barr

Ch 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 Faith

Stephen M. Barr

Ch 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 Faith

Stephen M. Barr

Ch 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 Faith

Stephen M. Barr

Ch 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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