Paul Davies - Why There is ‘Something’ Rather than ‘Nothing’?

This is actually the mother of all questions.

Every time I think about this conundrum, it makes my brain bubble, because, in my mind, there should be nothing, and, in my opinion, the theory that you can have something spontaneously erupt out of nothing, means that it can't really be nothing, otherwise, nothing would come of it. So, in other words, a nothing that can produce something, is not truly nothing. Sometimes, while sitting in my room, I'll look around and have this really profound sensation that this should not exist, and yet it does, so what the hell is going on? The implications are mind-bending and overwhelming.

I once had a general anaesthetic. I woke with the bizarre feeling that it was as if I'd died. No sensations, no memories, no thoughts, no pain... it was the most peculiar feeling, because during that period 'I' was literally 'nothing' and yet life was going on all round me, everywhere all over the world, it was just me that was absent from it. I think of that often, and that must be what it's like when we die.

Let's have a full list of all of Robert's obsessions

That was the most succinct explanation of the delayed slit experiment and it’s implications I’ve heard so far

Paul Davies did as good a job riding the rocket as anyone I've seen on this program. And that, my friends, brings me closer to truth.

Paul Davies one of my favorites

What are you thinking about? Oh Nothing

The “Tower of Turtles” problem is such a good analogy for the question. Terry Pratchett would be proud to know his comedic genius wasn’t just used for entertainment, but to also describe situations in our physical universe and a potential multiversal/omniversal realm as well.

It's frightening not to know why there is something rather than nothing, but knowing the true answer would likely be even more frightening