what is the big bang theory?

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When matter is compressed above a certain density then its gravity becomes so strong that it prevents the escape of any matter or energy, including light.

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And, in a very real sense the matter and energy of the universe hasn't escaped ... we're all within the "event horizon" (to inappropriately borrow a term related to black holes for illustrative purposes).Alan

"an universe"I know this has nothing to do with the topic but that just sounds odd to me even though it is correct. ("an" before words starting with vowel)but dont u guys agree that "a universe" sounds better? ive never noticed this before ; p

I agree - "Universe" doesn't, in fact, start with a vowel sound. That would be Ooniverse. It starts with a "Y" sound.I don't know if that is "correct" officially, but since written language is secondary to spoken language, I go by what the word sounds like, not what it looks like.

"This is an historic moment...." blechhhhhh!

Queen's english. In American English, there is no an before historian. No an before universe either.

Since we're apparently pausing on this topic... Actually the rule is "'an' whenever you need it to avoid glottal stops." So "an universe" isn't a correct construction in any English I know.Anyway that's the thing about "rules" of grammar - they're descriptive, not perscriptive (prosciptive?). Language is defined by the community of speakers, not the grammar book they use. (Try telling that to your grammar teacher, though.)[This message has been edited by crashfrog, 09-05-2003]

The idea of the big bang is brought about in a kind of reverse engineering. What we observe is that the universe is expanding and accelerating. We have evidence through the 3 degree kelvin background of space that the universe as it expands space-time(not into space-time) it cools off and that is the reason for this background radiation. This suggests that as we "run the movie backwards" then the logical conclusion is that you and I,all our friends and family all things that have ever existed anywhere and anytime in the universe once occupied the same location-event.What this came from is handicapped by the way our minds think in terms of cause and effect which is a natural consequence of being thinking creatures in a space-time universe.
Perhaps a hint of the the answer could be in the fact that vacuum energy works in the "background" (for lack of a truly appropriate word) and since it operates in a short enough time frame and in a small enough space as to be meaningless in terms of "our" universe it could be that it is the source of the energy needed to produce what we see.One possibility that occurs to me is that this vacuum energy may also have been subject to probability laws and since time is probably meanlingless in any respect in this "realm" a fluctuation that "overloaded" vacuum energy in whatever aspect necessary could have been what commenced space-time.This is ,of course ,a good deal of speculation and I am by no means an expert on the subject.One caveat though is that as far as energy goes I remember reading a statement by Richard Feynman in which he described it this way.In every cubic meter of space no electromagnetic nuclear gravitational energy just the sheer existence of the universe (vacuum energy) there is enough energy to boil the oceans of the earth.[This message has been edited by sidelined, 09-07-2003]