Minimum Viable Cosmology - 1
Time to rethink the λCDM model
Following on from the previous posting — The Cartwheel Galaxy — we’ll attempt to formulate a framework, Minimum Viable Cosmology — (MVC) that can be used to explain the structure and evolution of the universe based on fundamental and essential principles. This approach is similar to that taken by Bjorn Ekeberg and his critique of the current theory of cosmology — the λCDM model and the lack of empirical evidence for it. He considers the Big Bang model is comparable to a folktale that needs to be constantly re-edited to fit inconvenient new observations.
Before continuing, let us step back even further and consider even bigger questions.
1. Why is there ‘something’ instead of nothing?
If you accept that ‘something’ already exists then we can proceed, but if you need to create ‘something’ then we have the first problem - how do we create ‘something’ from nothing?
2. There are three dimensions of space —length, width and depth - and one dimension of TIME.
Consciousness is somehow linked with time and was present at the Beginning.
3. Do we need to talk about a ‘Beginning’ or can we jump in and talk about processes?
Similar to the question #1 but introduces TIME. A full description of the ‘Beginning’ would require a duplication of the Beginning - creating another Universe — as per Tao Te Ching.
4. How do we perceive (experience) the cosmos (the material world)?
Our perception is a ‘controlled hallucination’ as per Anil Seth.
5. How do we communicate these perceptions to each other?
Wittgenstein’s issues and word games — “whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”
6. How does complexity such as Life arise?
Complexity arises from simple processes that have feedback. The Mandelbrot set — where each output becomes the input for the next step.
What are some of the assumptions we make for the λCDM ?
7. that the physical laws we discovery in our ‘local’ universe appears throughout the whole universe.
8. that the universe on the large scale is approximately homogenous.
9. that the speed of light is uniformly constant
10. that the universe is expanding at an increasing rate.
11. in the λCDM Model, we can only account for 5% of the visible universe and need dark matter and dark energy to make the model work.
In the postings that follow, each of the above questions will be considered in the development of the Minimal Viable Cosmology (MVC) framework.