Big Bang Theory, currently accepted explanation of the beginning of the universe. The big bang theory proposes that the universe was once extremely compact, dense, and hot. Some original event, a cosmic explosion called the big bang, occurred about 10 billion to 20 billion years ago, and the universe has since been expanding and cooling.
Most creation stories assume the eternity of matter or even of the world itself. However, these myths hold that the world in its precreation state was uninhabitable and must be organized either by the action of cosmic forces or by creator deities.
Matiqua, I stated 15 Billion years based ,on ecyclopedia encarta (sic):10 to 20 billion years!As shown earlier .So I picked up the number in between .Your basing your answer or your source John Gribbin (sic);13 to 20 billion years, don't you think this is basically the same answer?If you chose in between like I did would give you 16.5 billion years.So why are you stating (sic) "The actual answer is"?
Posts: 6383 | Location: u.s.a, south Florida | Registered: 06-03-02
From: BBC News Online science editor Dr David Whitehouse (April 25, 2002)
By measuring the age of one of the oldest stars in our galaxy, astronomers have determined that the Universe is 12.5 billion years old.
The researchers scrutinised the light from the ancient star designated CS31082-001 and found a feature in its spectrum attributed to the element uranium.
Because the particular form of uranium responsible for the spectral line decays at a known rate over many billions of years, it can be used to provide a rough estimate of the age of the star.
Combined with similar observations of the element thorium-232, it leads to an improved value for the age of the oldest stars. The Universe must therefore be a little older, say astronomers.
Scientists have used the presence of thorium-232 to measure the age of a star before. It is radioactive with a half-life of 14 billion years, meaning that less than half of the original material has so far decayed.
Sometimes I don't write very clearly mozart, I usually mince my words by accident. I was just trying to name the source, not say you were wrong. Sorry if I put you down.
