• Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.world
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    23 hours ago

    Its the whole “why is there anything at all” thing for me. Like why is there any energy to have made all of this. Couldn’t there just have never been anything at all? Nothing for anyone to experience. Its so hard to perceive and think about but its absolutely fascinating.

    • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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      17 hours ago

      If the universe wouldn’t exist, you couldn’t ask yourself that question. So, by wondering “why is there anything at all” you have already answered the question: because otherwise you couldn’t even ask the question.

      • Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.world
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        7 hours ago

        Im not sure i follow. Or at least im not sure how me being able to ask why is answered by me being able to ask that.

        I see that i can ask it because the universe exists but i dont think that covers why.

        • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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          4 hours ago

          it’s a play with conditional probability:

          By asking the question (of whether the universe exists), that is already reason enough to know the answer. As such, you could say that asking the question is causal to knowing the answer. And the answer is that the universe exists.

          So, asking questions causes the universe to exist, in some sense.

          • Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.world
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            2 hours ago

            Maybe I’m just not smart enough to understand.

            What you are saying certainly answers that the universe does exist (or at least we perceive it to) but how does that answer the why? If i can ask the question then the universe does exist. Great. But why?

            • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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              2 hours ago

              why has two different meanings. You can ask “why did something happen” and expect a causal explanation, i.e. event B happened because event A happened earlier, or you can ask it like “why is this happening”, like “what is the purpose in it”. does that make sense to you?

              • Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.world
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                23 minutes ago

                Yes, but neither is what you are answering. Or i just don’t get how that answers it.

                You are telling me this answers the question “does the universe exist” but i am asking why there is anything there in the first place so that the universe can exist. Why is there a medium for the fabric of space and time to exist within. There could have just been nothing.

                I understand that there is. And we are here. But thats not my question and i don’t think your answering that question.