Big Bang Problem

The Big Bang has plenty of evidence; more then enough to make it pretty much the only game in town. Cosmology is a field of science in which there is much we don't know and many alternative speculative theories about early stages in the universe. But all scientific models need to account for the evidence, and the evidence we have means that all scientific models are now basically variations on the Big Bang model in one way or another.I outlined the major lines of evidence which bear upon the matter in Message 108You won't even be able to have a meaningful opinion on whether or not the Big Bang is supported by evidence until you learn enough physics to understand what we are talking about when we discuss that evidence. This is a hard fact of life about science. Anyone has the right to an opinion; but they don't have the right to be sensible. It has to be earned, and it takes time and effort to learn enough background to understand what you criticize.You are welcome, if you so choose, to disbelieve the Big Bang, because you find some other notions a bit easier. But blanket statements like "no evidence" are merely ignorance.Cheers -- Sylas

Adminnemooseus writes:

quote:

---

I used to waffle between "its" and "it's", and the such. I may well be wrong, but I vaguely recall sources of good authority that advocate the use of "it's" in such situations.

---

I think you are wrong. I think this is one of the most settled points in all of grammar. Every reference I've ever turned to has always said the the apostrophe is only used to denote 'it is'. It's easier to find justification for using 'transition' as a verb (a usage which makes my skin crawl, btw).This is one of the grammar rules I break most frequently, as in my last post (I thought about editing it but didn't). It's an easy mistake to make; I wouldn't be so harsh as crashfrog is about it.

Oh' it's Google!
I should really be more careful now.

---

Desdamona

Where is your evidence first,then decide what I can understand.
All I get from you is that some scientists have proved to you,
in your mind set that evolution did occur,although I wonder why
it's not still occuring and why humans and monkeys can't inter breed?
Science,or common sense?
I know ovulation can occur,but not evolution.

---

Desdamona

Not that I'm any kind of authority, but possessive pronouns, like his, hers, and its never have apostrophes. "It's" is only a contraction of "it is". The situation your authority may have been referring to was the contraction, but surely couldn't have been the possessive pronoun.The UW-Madison style guide has a page of common apostrophe errors at Page Not Found - University of Wisconsin—Madison. They have this to say:

quote:

---

Apostrophes indicate possession for nouns ("Jim's hat," "several years' work") but not for personal pronouns (its, your, their, and whose).

---

I'm not trying to be a grammar Nazi (I make the same apostrophe error a lot), but everybody's writing could stand improvement. Plus I owe a karmic debt for having my own errors pointed out while I made fun of someone, once.

more then enough to make it pretty much the only game in town. Cosmology is a field of science in which there is much we don't know
(Sylas wrote the above statement)
So now it's a game,and there is plenty that you still do not know?[This message has been edited by desdamona, 04-21-2004]

---

Desdamona

I'm not trying to be harsh; it's just that the general rule here appears to be that we only correct the writing of those who are criticizing someone's writing. It's OT and I'm sorry.

Congratulations... the second apostrophe is correct. Adminnemooseus, take note. Seriously; I'm sorry I offended you with these comments. I realized that this was almost inevitable, but the matter has been so obvious that had to speak up. I'll return to exclusively substantive comments from here on.Cheers -- SylasAdded in edit: "only game in town" is a well known metaphor that captures precisely the scientific status of the Big Bang. I have already said that there is a lot we don't know. I agree with your next post on apostrophes in possessive pronouns.
Added in edit: I acknowledge a coup. Desdamona made a good catch of the error in this post. Touche. [This message has been edited by Sylas, 04-21-2004]

It's sheer joy to know that we can all get a free crash course in
grammer here by the leading experts.
what they cannot prove or show us evidence,they make up for in grammer!(Not that I'm any kind of authority, but possessive pronouns, like his, hers, and its never have apostrophes)

---

Desdamona

It's its, not it's. I was wrong.Enough grammar talk - Back to the theme of the topic, whose proper name is "Big Bang".Adminnemooseus

---

WHERE TO GO TO START A NEW TOPIC (For other than "Welcome, Visitors!", "Suggestions and Questions", "Practice Makes Perfect", and "Short Subjects")Comments on moderation procedures? - Go to
Change in Moderation?
or
too fast closure of threads

Nobody's writing is so good that it can't bear improvement. And I would think that reasonable people would come to the conclusion that if you can remove obstacles (like poor communication) that keep you from getting your point across, that's just one more step towards fruitful debate.

but the matter has been so obvious that had to speak up. ( comment by- Sylas)
I wonder what the that had to speak up means?{Call it a typo - I think it should have been "..so obvious that I had to speak up." NOW EVERYONE, BACK TO THE TOPIC OF THINGS BIG BANG PLEASE. - Adminnemooseus}[This message has been edited by Adminnemooseus, 04-21-2004]

---

Desdamona

We don't know why. The Big bang is not about something at a point in space, but an explosion of space itself.
This is hard to understand (comment made made Sylas)
If you do not know something or understand it,why try to convince
others of it?
That is not supporting evidence for the big bang idea.

---

Desdamona

Do you think that if you don't know everything about something, you don't know anything about it?Our knowledge about the universe is limited. But even with our limited knowledge a rational person can see that the inflationary cosmological models are a much better description of what we see than anything in the Bible.

no offense taken.
The big bang idea still doesn't have much support though.

---

Desdamona