How can something come from nothing?

Question asked by: knowitall

This is one of the greatest puzzles, as it seems so counter-intuitive to be able to answer this with 'yes'. However, if we agree to the fact that we are here (and hence there is something), we must accept one of these two additional facts:
- something came from nothing
- there has always been something

Of the two, the second seems more surprising than the first. If there has always been something, then there is just no answer to the questions 'when was the universe created, who by (if anyone) and how'.

At least if something can come from nothing, there are answers to this question. Therefore it is believe something can come from nothing, as we are here. The problem is answering how this can happen.

Quantum theory states that small particles can come into existence temporarily, then pop out again, by borrowing energy from the universe. Perhaps over some unimaginable period of time, the build up of particles popping into existence was significant and physical laws about particular interactions governed the rest. But the honest answer is simply that no-one really knows how so much matter as there is in the universe could come from nothing!

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Comments and other answers:

How could this particles popped, by borrowing energy from universe, if the universe haven't existed yet?
By: mrfrost

Date of comment: Wed, Apr 7th 2010

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