Cosmology Limits of science by definition God is outside & beyond nature TRANSCENDENT Evaluate evidence – Scientific Method requires observable realities in our universe Establish probability Provides qualified truth* Current theories always subject to more data: You don’t know what you don’t know!

Evidence for a beginning Beginning implies creation Beginning implies creation T = 0; no “time” before T = 0; no “time” before Nothing comes from nothing Nothing comes from nothing But the universe is something, it could not have caused itself! But the universe is something, it could not have caused itself! Implies a “transcendent Creator” – outside time & space Implies a “transcendent Creator” – outside time & space God or “something else”? God or “something else”?

Bing Bang as Beginning? Fr. Lemaitre & Einstein Fr. Lemaitre & Einstein Primeval Atom & History of OU Primeval Atom & History of OU Expanding balloon; 13.7 b yrs. Expanding balloon; 13.7 b yrs. O.U. has finite mass-energy O.U. has finite mass-energy Redshifts/CBR confirmed theory Redshifts/CBR confirmed theory Pre-Big Bang: String Theory? Pre-Big Bang: String Theory? Multiverse & Oscillating Univ. Multiverse & Oscillating Univ. Do they have a beginning?! Do they have a beginning?!

Evidence of a Beginning 1994 B-V Proof: 5 assumptions of every inflationary universe 1994 B-V Proof: 5 assumptions of every inflationary universe Beginning req’d for all! Beginning req’d for all! 1999 Guth: eternal into the future, but not the past Guth: eternal into the future, but not the past B-V Guth: speed of light creates a boundary 2003 B-V Guth: speed of light creates a boundary “past-eternal inflation w/o a beginning is impossible” “past-eternal inflation w/o a beginning is impossible”

Conclusions The boundary to past time (required in the BVG theorem) could indicate an absolute beginning of the universe or a pre-pre-big bang era with a completely different physics. If it is the latter, then the pre-big-bang period would also have to have had a boundary to its past time (because it would have a rate of expansion greater than zero). Eventually, one will reach an absolute beginning when there are no more pre-pre-pre-big- bang eras. The boundary to past time (required in the BVG theorem) could indicate an absolute beginning of the universe or a pre-pre-big bang era with a completely different physics. If it is the latter, then the pre-big-bang period would also have to have had a boundary to its past time (because it would have a rate of expansion greater than zero). Eventually, one will reach an absolute beginning when there are no more pre-pre-pre-big- bang eras.