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From: gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn )
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: two questions for physicists
Message-ID: <6194@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 29-Nov-84 18:47:58 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.6194
Posted: Thu Nov 29 18:47:58 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Dec-84 05:16:10 EST
References: <6766@watdaisy.UUCP>
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab
Lines: 12

Excellent questions!

I frankly don't think the "big bang" theorists have properly considered
such epistemological questions as what time MEANS in their models of the
"first 10^-43 seconds of the universe".

All subatomic particles of a given type are assumed to be identical
because that leads to predictions that work.  I'm sure someone will
mention the idea of an anti-particle being a normal particle traveling
"backward in time" in this context; that idea does not explain why all
particles of a given type appear identical, though, since not every
creation-annihilation interaction involves particle/anti-particle pairs.