MIDTERM – DISCIPLESHIP THEOLOGY

Chapter: DISCOVERY OF THE UNIVERSE'S EXPANSION: BIG BANG

In the context of the discovery of the universe's expansion and the Big Bang Theory,
there can be different perspectives, but they generally fall into two categories: evolutionist and
creationist.

The first one uses scientific discoveries over the years to justify and hypothetically
prove the beginning of the Universe. Those are the most common scientific theories and
discoveries used as argument and explanation for Universe's existence:

1. Edwin Hubble's groundbreaking discovery in the early 20th century had a

profound impact on our understanding of the universe. Hubble is most famous for his work on the
expansion of the universe, which challenged the prevailing idea of a static, unchanging cosmos.
His key contributions include:

• Redshift of Galaxies: Hubble observed that light from distant galaxies was shifted toward
the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum. This redshift phenomenon was directly
proportional to the distance of the galaxies from Earth. In other words, galaxies that were
farther away from us exhibited larger redshifts. This relationship became known as
Hubble's Law.

• Hubble's Law: Hubble formulated a mathematical relationship known as Hubble's Law,

which described the correlation between the redshift of galaxies and their distance from
Earth. Hubble's observations provided strong evidence for the expansion of the universe.

• Expanding Universe: Hubble's discovery of the redshift-distance relationship led to the

conclusion that the universe was not static but, in fact, expanding. This finding
fundamentally challenged the prevailing cosmological model of a static universe and was
a pivotal moment in the development of modern cosmology.
 • Hubble's Constant: Hubble's work also contributed to the determination of the Hubble
constant, which is a critical parameter in cosmology. This constant represents the rate at
which the universe is expanding, and its value has been refined over time through further
observations and measurements.

Hubble's groundbreaking discoveries not only revolutionized our understanding of

the cosmos but also laid the foundation for the Big Bang theory, which proposes that the universe
began from an extremely hot and dense state and has been expanding ever since. Hubble's work
continues to be a cornerstone of modern cosmology, and his legacy is honored with the Hubble
Space Telescope, a space-based observatory that has provided us with stunning views of the
universe and has furthered our understanding of its expansion.

2. The Special Theory of Relativity, developed by Albert Einstein in 1905, is a

fundamental theory in physics that revolutionized our understanding of space and time. While the
theory itself does not directly address the expansion of the universe, it has important implications
for our understanding of how objects move in a spacetime framework.

In the context of the expansion of the universe, the key aspects of the Special
Theory of Relativity to consider are:

• Invariance of the Speed of Light: Einstein's theory postulates that the speed of light in a
vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion. This principle has
been experimentally verified and is a cornerstone of the theory.

• Relative Motion: Special Relativity deals with how the laws of physics apply to objects in
relative motion. It introduced the concept that space and time are interconnected into a
four-dimensional spacetime, and the theory provides a framework for understanding the
effects of relative motion, especially at high speeds.

• Cosmic Expansion: While the Special Theory of Relativity is primarily focused on local,
non-accelerating reference frames, it becomes especially relevant in cosmology when we
 consider the expansion of the universe. The expansion of the universe involves the
stretching of space itself, and Special Relativity helps us understand how the relative
motion of galaxies and other cosmic objects influences the observed redshift due to the
expansion.

In cosmology, the Special Theory of Relativity is important for understanding how

the motion and relative velocities of galaxies, stars, and other cosmic objects can affect the redshift
of light from these objects.

The theory doesn't provide a direct explanation for the expansion itself (which is
better addressed by the General Theory of Relativity and the Big Bang theory), but it's crucial for
interpreting the observational data related to the expansion and understanding the way space and
time work on cosmic scales.

3. The General Theory of Relativity, developed by Albert Einstein in 1915, is a

foundational theory in physics that describes the gravitational force as the curvature of spacetime
caused by mass and energy. In the context of the expansion of the universe, the theory plays a
significant role. Here's a brief overview:

• Gravitational Theory: General Relativity provides a comprehensive framework for

understanding gravity. It suggests that massive objects, like stars and galaxies, warp the
fabric of spacetime around them. This warping causes other objects to follow curved paths
in this distorted spacetime, which we perceive as gravitational attraction.

• Cosmic Expansion: General Relativity is particularly relevant in cosmology when

considering the large-scale structure of the universe and its expansion. It serves as the
foundation for the Big Bang theory, which is the prevailing cosmological model for the
origin of the universe.
• Einstein's Equations: The field equations of General Relativity, known as Einstein's
equations, describe how the distribution of mass and energy in the universe influences the
 curvature of spacetime. When applied to cosmology, these equations reveal that the
universe's expansion is a natural consequence of the Big Bang.

• Cosmological Constant: Initially, Einstein introduced a cosmological constant (denoted as

Λ, the "Lambda" symbol) into his equations to allow for a static universe, as was the
prevailing belief at the time. When evidence for cosmic expansion emerged, Einstein
famously referred to this addition as his "greatest blunder." However, the concept of a
cosmological constant has been revisited and is now associated with dark energy, a
mysterious force driving the universe's accelerated expansion.

In the context of the expansion of the universe, the General Theory of Relativity
provides the theoretical underpinning for understanding how gravity shapes the large-scale
structure of the cosmos and how the expansion is driven by the initial singularity of the Big Bang.
It has been confirmed through various observational data, such as the cosmic microwave
background radiation and the redshift of distant galaxies, reinforcing its significance in our
understanding of the universe's evolution.

4. Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB): The CMB is a faint, uniform glow of

microwave radiation that fills the universe. It is a remnant of the Big Bang and is often considered
one of the most compelling pieces of evidence for the theory. The CMB provides a snapshot of the
universe's early state, about 380,000 years after the Big Bang, when it had cooled down enough
for atoms to form, making the universe transparent to light.

5. Universe Cooling Down: In the context of the universe's beginning, as the

universe expanded, it also cooled down. This cooling allowed particles and atoms to form from
the primordial hot and dense conditions that existed immediately after the Big Bang. The cooling
of the universe is a fundamental aspect of its evolution.

6. The concept of a "borderless cosmology" suggests that the universe doesn't

have a specific edge or boundary. Instead, it is thought to be spatially infinite or possibly finite but
unbounded. In a borderless cosmology, there is no central point from which the Big Bang occurred;
rather, it happened uniformly throughout space. This idea is consistent with the notion that the
universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales, as supported by the CMB's nearly uniform
temperature and the overall large-scale structure of the cosmos.

The creationists refuse the evolutionists theory and its fundamentals in those
scientific discoveries, as they consider there is a lack of veracity and proof. All those theories
believe in a magical beginning, using today's facts as evidence of the past, but any of them could
prove it so far.

1. General Theory of Relativity: the four forces (gravity, electromagnetism,

strong and weak nuclear forces) should come together into a single force, and there is no such
probability, proof or understanding and how it could even occur. We don’t know even how gravity
works in the subatomic scale. Even considering the four forces were put together, it is unclear what
hypothetical powered inflation.

2. Cosmic Microwave Background: science cannot explain where the energy that
expands the universe comes from.

3. Boardless cosmology: if there is no beginning nor an end, there is no Big Bang.

The Beginning of the universe would be something unnatural.

All those unknow phenomena and mysteries regarding the beginning of the
universe cannot be proved by evolutionists or its science. The creationists remain grounded in the
Bible and its teachings about the God's creation of the universe.

Carolina Andrade