p6:
What's more likely. A Big Bang where everything starts from
a singularity or M-theory Big Splat (ekpyrotic scenerio)
where two higher dimensional colliding branes produced
the matter and energy in our universe??
...
I think Big Splat (ekpyrotic scenerio) is more likely
than a Big Bang (which is a bit way off). What do you
think?

Chris L Peterson:
I think it is unscientific to make what are, essentially, guesses as to
likelihood. Do you have any reason other then personal philosophy for
favoring one explanation over the other? On a personal scale, either is
mind boggling.

Yes, of course. But I have heard eminent cosmologists speak on this
subjects, and their talks are full of "we can only guess," "our best
guess is," "your guess is as good as mine," "it is my guess," and the
like. I would guess that making guesses based on incomplete data is
human nature.

It has been proposed that there are actual observations possible that
can invalidate the colliding branes theory. For myself, I'll withhold
judgment until such observations are made.

Me. too. I am as keen as anyone to know the answers to the Big
Questions. It is unlikely that I will discover those answers for
myself, however, so I wait patiently for researchers to make new
discoveries, which I will digest as best I can. Meanwhile, I will
continue to fantasize about possible answers to the Big Questions, just
as the OP did, and I will be grateful that this is sci.astro.amateur
rather than sci.astro.rigorously.correct, a newsgroup that might not
welcome the OP, and that would certainly not me. Perhaps there ought to
be a sci.astro.limping.along.and.doing.what.we.can for people like me
who fail to meet the rigorous standards that some would impose on this
group.

Davoud

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