Is Nothing Possible?

[Lestat]

The concept of nothing is difficult, if not impossible, for me to contemplate.

I'm not talking about nothing as in a blank sheet or if you look out the window and there are no buildings or trees. I'm not talking about an empty pitch dark room. I'm not even talking about the non-existence of earth or even the stars. What I mean is ... absolutely NOTHING! No earth, no stars, no space, no God or creator, no thoughts, no universe, no laws of physics... NOTHING! Nothing exists. There is NOTHING.

I ask you to really think about this. Meditate on it. Even the concept of nothing is something. So I'm asking you to imagine nothing and then suspend that imagination for even that is something.. Until you arrive at NOTHING!! NOTHING exists!

I question whether nothing is even possible and this is why I'm agnostic and recognize the possibility of a creator or even an omnipotent God. I just cannot imagine the reality of NOTHING, because even the reality of nothing is something!

[Borodog]

By your definition of "nothing," the absence of the entire Universe, no "nothing" is not possible. It is not possible because the Universe can be observed to exist. Not sure what you're point is.

[Lestat]

According to our current laws of physics, the universe didn't always exist and won't always continue to exist. So without a universe, what's left?

[Borodog]

[ QUOTE ]
According to our current laws of physics, the universe didn't always exist and won't always continue to exist. So without a universe, what's left?

[/ QUOTE ]

First of all, there is nothing in modern physics that claims the Universe will ever cease to exist. It's been a couple of years since I worked in the field, but I think I would have heard about something like that.

Second, physics does not and cannot answer questions about things external to our Universe (and that includes the temporal sense), since they are unobservable.

So we cannot state that "before" (I put this in quotes because time is part and parcel of the observable Universe, so it really doesn't ever make sense to talke about a "time" "before" the beginning of the Universe) there was "nothing." We do not know and can never know.

[RJT]

Better stop thinking this way, Stat. You are going to start turning into one of "us".

All kidding aside, I think this is where I start. I can't imagine nothing - the nothing before the universe was born -if it didn't always exists. I decide on God and go from there.

RJT

[BigSoonerFan]

Nothing and infinite are both difficult to comprehend, as is finite and infinite existence. I don't think our puny brains will ever know the answer.

But it does remind me of that great Dilbert strip, which finishes something like....

Dogbert: It's because you have no personality.
Dilbert: I do so have a personality.
Dogbert: Oh no. We're not going to get into that 'Zero is a number' argument again, are we?

[chezlaw]

I believe the correct answer is that 'nothing is something' although that may just be a joke.

chez

[Trantor]

[ QUOTE ]
Better stop thinking this way, Stat. You are going to start turning into one of "us".

All kidding aside, I think this is where I start. I can't imagine nothing - the nothing before the universe was born -if it didn't always exists. I decide on God and go from there.

RJT

[/ QUOTE ]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ QUOTE ]
I can't imagine nothing - the nothing before the universe was born -if it didn't always exists. I decide on God and go from there.


[/ QUOTE ]

Translation: Humans have no experience with "nothing" before the universe, so I choose to invent a Santa Claus-like figure to conveniently answer all these unknowns.

I don't see how nothing could pop into existence from nothing.