sophie's_world (at some point something must have come from nothing) 100603 ... jane . . . Where does the world come from? She hadn't the faintest idea. Sophie knew that the world was only a small planet in space. But where did space come from? It was possible that space had always existed, in which case she would not also need to figure out where it came from. But could anything have always existed? Something deep down inside her protested at the idea. Surely everything that exists must have had a beginning? So space must sometime have been created out of something else. But if space had come from something else, then that something else must also have come from something. Sophie felt she was only deferring the problem. At some point, something must have come from nothing. But was that possible? Wasn't that just as impossible as the idea that the world had always existed? They had learned at school that God created the world. Sophie tried to console herself with the thought that this was probably the best solution to the whole problem. But then she started to think again. She could accept that God had created space, but what about God himself? Had he created himself out of nothing? Again there was something deep down inside her that protested. Even though God could create all kinds of things, he could hardly create himself before he had a "self" to create with. So there was only one possibility left: God had always existed. But she had already rejected that possibility! Everything that existed had to have a beginning. Oh, drat! She opened the two envelopes again. Who are you? Where does the world come from? What annoying questions! And anyway where did the letters come from? That was just as mysterious, almost. Who had jolted Sophie out of her everyday existence and suddenly brought her face to face with the great riddles of the universe? . . . (Jostein Gaarder) 100603 ... Sophies World I wonder why she is so adamant that that everything has to have a beginning? It is proven from science that energy does not go anywhere and it doesn't become nothing whatever that is. 100603 ... j (you should read the book) and i have many thoughts about energy that i will not get into here. 100603 ... j oh - to answer your question: because she was written that way. ;P 100603 what's it to you? who go blather from