Why isn't the universe uniform and symmetrical in all directions?

Question

I envision The Big Bang as a circular sphere, exploding with beams of energy going out perpendicular to the face of the ball, much like the rays of a stereotypical sun (☼), though they are of course very dense and not only energy (I think). I don't get why things would start clustering though. Wouldn't all the angles between my envisioned "beams" be equal, and their gravity to one another be equal, thus rendering the universe symmetrical and "cancelling" itself? Basically, what makes it as random as it is? 'Cause there has to be a cause and effect to everything, right?

Answer 1

Believe it or not,

early researchers actually wanted to know why the universe was as uniform as it is. They couldn't

explain why the average temperature of the universe was the same in all directions, for example.

This was known as 'The Isotropy Problem'. This eventually led to the theory of inflation.

But your question does have merit.

There are several things to consider in answering this question:

#1) The Big Bang probably started with a tiny ball of pure energy that was much smaller than

a single atom. But it is important to note that at the instant of the "bang" there were no solid

particles of matter yet. Temperatures were much too high for solid matter to coalesce.

All that existed was spacetime and energy.

#2) Within the first 10^-33 second, inflation occured, in which the entire

universe expanded from less than the size of a single proton

to larger than a basketball. But this did not cause the type of

stereotypical explosion you are thinking of, but rather is was space itself that expanded

outward in all directions, carrying everything else with it.

#3) Even at its expanded size, there were still no particles in the universe yet due to the high

temperature. But what did exist right from the beginning was quantum uncertainty. The same

quantum uncertainty that is responsible for us not being able to determine the velocity and

position of a particle with precision, and also causes energy fluctuations in empty space which are

responsible for the continuous creation and destruction of virtual particles.

It is believed that quantum uncertainty is responsible for the non-uniform nature of the universe.

Random fluctuations in energy due to quantum uncertainty which occured right at the beginning

imprinted themselves onto this expanding baby proto-universe. And it was these patterns that

later served as the seeds for clumping once solid matter and gravity took over.

Over the next 14 billion years, the effects have become magnified many many times over.

But when you look at the night sky, you are really seeing the effects of quantum mechanics

writ large across the sky.

Answer 2

The question is difficult to answer because of the premise



"envisoned" -->> was the Big bang a circular sphere? The correct premise will help finding the correct answer.



"Cause and Effect to everything" - the known laws of physics breaks down as we go nearer to the moment of the big bang. We do not know what applies (theoritical laws and physical laws disappear) before the "bang".



"Randomness" - Maybe the universe is not random at all... Chaos Theory states that there will always be a pattern.

Answer 3

Technically, the universe IS symmetrical, it's just the matter in it that isn't. It flows in a shape known as a Picard topology (Yes, it really was named after the guy from Startrek).



Nobody knows why, it's one of the big mysteries, it's also one of the potential holes in the Big Bang hypothesis as a Big Bang explosion should be symmetrical rather than cone shaped.

Answer 4

Haha. Unfortunately, this is a question that probably no one has an answer to. There is a cause and effect for everything. But it CAN be random. And it sucks not being able to understand it. Just pretend like it's all just a Big Dream o.O

Answer 5

if you look at pictures of a star going supernova you will see that the explosion is anything BUT uniform. it was shocking to me as well. but the same principal applies to any explosion so long as point of ignition is not centered perfectly.

Answer 6

Beacause everything is perfect! EXCEPT YOU!

Answer 7

Nothing is perfect. Look at you.