Is it possible that the Big Bang occurred by itself?

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asked 7 years ago

Hello Rabbi Michael,
I have heard on several occasions that, to the claim of those who believe in creation, that even if there was a big bang, someone would need to create the matter that composes it and the explosion itself, physicists respond that according to quantum theory, matter can be created from nothing, and that an explosion is also expected.
I didn’t understand how matter was created out of nothing according to quantum mechanics. What I heard a little bit was that particles change their shape or that there is some relationship that I don’t understand between matter and antimatter. But does creation out of nothing really exist?
What does the rabbi think about their claim?
thanks

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מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago

In quantum theory, it is generally accepted that particles are indeed created from a vacuum (the vacuum state is a quantum state of the world). This does not necessarily mean that matter can be created from nothing, since the quantum nature of the world already means that it has some nature, meaning that it is not just empty (in a vacuum). The fact is that creation preserves the laws of conservation (the total charge is 0, etc.). Therefore, there is no argument here for the claim that someone is needed to create the universe, because even if it was created from a vacuum, someone is responsible for the quantum nature of the universe and the laws that govern it. By the way, it’s really not expected that there will be an explosion, but at most it’s possible that there will be one.

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הפוסק האחרון replied 7 years ago

There are (in language) 3 states: non-existence, potentiality, existence.
The state of non-existence is non-existence and it makes no sense to say that something was created from it because it is non-existence, so it is non-existence.
Things are created from potentiality.
The bang is created from potentiality.
The question becomes what is the nature of that potential, and did something create it or is this what exists.

There can be no satisfactory answer to such basic questions because the concept of potential contradicts the basis of our logical thinking. Other unsatisfactory answers may exist, but it is not clear what they mean.