Finding the Common Ground Between Science and Spirituality There was no space for the universe to exist Neither was time for the universe to begin existing How can anything happen without the existence of space and time? The only thing that existed was this dimensionless point, which contained the entire mass and volume of the universe According to science and the current hypothesis, nothing existed outside of that point, the singularity where the Big Bang started Who knows what or who caused it? There was nothing else besides this point Again the age-old paradox now supported by science: existence from nonexistence! Einstein’s general theory of relativity, along with standard theories of fundamental particles, enabled mathematical models of how the universe began in a Big Bang proceeding from this singularity point Scientists have done investigations of how the Big Bang proceeded and have given us a snapshot of the intermediate stages of the universe between the Big Bang and the present in seven slides with pictures and descriptions that can be seen at the Harvard University website.(2) In the extremely hot temperatures of the Big Bang began the process of conversion of energy into matter It took a billion years before energy coalesced into enough matter to become the first star The expansion of the universe is measured today to determine whether the universe will continue to expand or will turn around and collapse in a Big Crunch due to the forces of gravity between the heavenly bodies.(3) Now let’s discuss how energy was first discovered Physics defines energy as the “ability to work or make a change in matter.” One can say that energy is the ability to make things happen There is no independent definition of energy; all definitions are indirect, through its effects on existence 13