i understand much of the theory behnd the big bang, and why 13.7 billion years is calculated, but the problem i was recently thinking about, is what they mean by a billion, the USA defines a billion as 1000 million, whereas much of the world defines it a billion as a million x million in the same way a million is 1000x1000,
Stephen hawking's book i have seem's to indicate its 13.7 international billion years old, which would be 13700 US billion years old, i was wondering if anyone knew for sure.

Interesting question, I would like to know also.

There are at least 3 ways that the age of the Universe can be estimated.
The age of the chemical elements.
The age of the oldest star clusters.
The age of the oldest white dwarf stars.

Currently they have calculated the age to be 13.7 +/- 0.2 Gyr.

Wikipedia uses 1 billion years in the entry on the Big Bang to be synonymous with one giga-annum, which is the US billion.

Well in Germany you say it's 13 milliard years old wich is 10⁹

In Sweden we say miljard (10^9), and miljon (10^6).

I don't believe in the Big Bang Theory, it's bogus. But I define one billion years as 1,000,000,000 years. See, simple.

I'm just reading Hawking's book. I'm sure he uses the level of background radiation left by the big bang to measure the universe's age. Would have to go back and look.

D.

Measurements from NASA's COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) "pegs the age of the Universe at 13.7 billion years old, with a remarkably small one percent margin of error" [1]. So, pretty much the same thing that dvvel said.

Even more exciting is the discovery of anisotropy in the microwave background (Nobel prize for physics in 2006) - the irregularities that are indicative of the beginnings of galaxies. One of the criticisms of the big bang theory was that the microwave background was so constant, so how could various clumpy shapes be born of an isotropic explosion? But now, with more accurate and precise instrumentation, we've been able to measure the minor fluctuations that allowed galaxies to form. Very cool.

I really must know why you don't believe in the Big Bang Theory. No one is saying you have to, but I would love to hear your reasons.

Why does it matter how old the universe is? How long ago did he write that book? A couple years ago? Wouldn't that make the universe 13,000,000,002 years old now?

This is actually the age of the oldest observable galaxy. The universe is a little older than 13.7 billion years (yes US billions), 13.7 is just like a minimal figure. We know for a fact the universe is at least 13.7 billion years old. 15 billion was the old value and most scientists think the universe is a little younger than that. It depending on where you look / what method is used but it's something between like 13.9 and 14.1 billion years (the "textbook value" they teach in public schools and universities is rounded off to 14 billion), but could be anywhere between 13.7 and 20 billion years old (though most scientists are pretty sure it's less than 15).

I accept the Big Bang Theory as a reasonable explanation but not as the only one.

Einstein's General Theory of Relativity states that time runs slower in a gravity well than in free space. A clock on the Earth's surface runs slower than one in orbit. This has been shown.

As time goes on, more and more mass has appeared in our universe. This has created a deeper gravity well. Time runs slower now than it did in the past. Therefore light, which travels at a constant speed, travels less distance now than it did in the past. This gives the illusion that the universe is expanding.

The figure of 13.7 thousand million years is given as the age of the universe since, if you run the expansion backward and assume a constant rate of expansion, this is the number you'll get. That's if you accept the universe is expanding.

I don't know if this is true about the big bang theory, but I thought I heard they also believe that just as everything was blown out, it will eventually collapse back in. That means, things are sort of like when you throw a ball up in the air and there's that point between rising or falling. That's where we exist.

Ah, I forgot the term for this but it is the ratio of energy to mass. If the energy is greater than the mass, the universe expands forever. If it's less, the universe eventually collapses. If they're equal, the universe expands forever but it does so at the least possible rate.

This is also called Forced Damped Simple Harmonic Motion (FDSHM).

And it relies on certain assumptions:

1. The mass in the universe does not change.
2. The energy in the universe does not change.
3. The universe is a spring (a bouncy spring not the water type).

But observations have concluded that:

1. The universe is generating more matter.
2. The universe is generating more dark matter.
3. The universe is generating more energy.
4. The universe is generating more dark energy.

And everyone is arguing over the rates. In other words, nobody knows even if you can throw a ball into the air. They're not sure that matter and dark matter are different. (And the same for the energies.)

I beginning to think the place "where we exist" is somewhere between Nirvana and a bad joke. (I'm leaning toward the bad joke.)

Impressive post no doubt..I am simple and easy..I just think God did it all, seems easier to comprehend..

just me

Sherri

What a COPE OUT!

You prefer that Someone does your thinking for you. Do you prefer that Someone does your living for you? Do you prefer that Someone makes love to your wife for you? Do you prefer that Someone raises your children for you? (After all, they're not yours.) Do you prefer that Someone chews your meat for you?

Slavery is easy to comprehend; it is also despicable.

First of all, is this cope or cop?

Second of all, who I choose to rule over me where when and how is my choice..not yours for the knocking.

Yes I choose God..so to answer your question..ya I am a slave to God, and a sinning slave none the less who by his mercy receives forgiveness on a day to day basis..so yes,,peace out..

Sherri

Ah, so your posting is about religion, not science.

SO WHAT THE F*CK ARE YOU DOING POSTING IN THIS FORUM?

Hi Shawn..figured you would come back to bite me..why did I post? cuz I can.

Sherri